Review: The party keeps going at SDCC after dark

The DJ booth at The Iceberg Lounge experience at San Diego Comic-Con

Once the con floor closes, Comic-Con attendees head out into the night to continue celebrating at fan-themed events.

When people think of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), they generally think of cosplay, panels, autographs, fandom-inspired art and very long lines. But the con also has a very active night life with many ticketed-events taking place outside of the San Diego Convention Center’s show hours. From themed-club nights to annual parties to promotional experiences, late nights are par for the course for some fans. However, gaining entry to after-hours events can be highly competitive with thousands trying for a very limited number of tickets, speaking to congoers’ determination to keep the fun going after the exhibit floor closes.

The most coveted bash continues to be the Fandom Party, hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel’s FLOAT rooftop lounge. The 7^th annual event also marked the celebration of Fandom’s 20^th anniversary, which was headlined by R&B and pop multi-platinum singer and songwriter Jason Derulo, who took the stage just after 10 p.m., and regaled dancing partygoers for the better part of an hour until the festivities ended. Beyond the stage, Electronic Arts (EA) took over event sponsorship this year from Paramount, promoting “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” via a themed scavenger hunt and custom photo booth. As drinks flowed from the open bars, guests mingled while trying to spot celebrities, including Todd McFarlane, Colin Kaepernick, Kevin Durand, Bella Thorne, Jonathan Bennett and Jefferson White. Unfortunately, the only thing harder to find than the stars was the food, which was uncharacteristically scarce.

Funko hosted its annual bash, Funko Fundays, occurring over two nights for the first time in its more than 20-year history. After last year’s disastrous attempt at holding the event at the outdoor Rady Shell to include more fans of the pop culture lifestyle brand, it returned to the Manchester Grand Hyatt and gave “funatics” the option of buying tickets for Friday or Saturday night. The show’s theme was “Fantastic Voyage,” a pirate-inspired adventure hosted by Funko founder Mike Becker. Every attendee received a “Box of Fun” with event exclusive collectibles, and a select few got to take to the stage to participate in contests and try to win a prize for their table section. In between giveaways, announcements and awards, special guests, including Sean Astin, Bruce Campbell, Karen Fukuhara and Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, made cameo appearances throughout the show. Yet, this year’s event was bittersweet as days before SDCC, Becker announced he would be leaving the company and thus hosting his last Fundays. So, the show’s conclusion assumed a slightly sombre tone as tributes to the beloved toy creator took over and long-time fans savoured the moment.

In the end, the award for most interactive off-site goes to “The Iceberg Lounge” experience, promoting the upcoming HBO Original series, The Penguin. Over the course of two nights, guests entered the Gotham nightclub, where the hostess informed them of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot’s rules before they took the “elevator” — a multi-sensorial, subterranean descent — that dropped patrons into the notorious Iceberg Lounge lobby to navigate the wreckage left by The Riddler at the end of The Batman (2022) film. The space included four immersive experiences: a very industrial tattoo parlour offering temporary ink; a lounge with an eerie, red-lit photo-op; a dance floor and live DJ with cage dancers alongside a scrumptious hot dog cart and top-notch bar; and a “secret” speakeasy that greeted guests with a cigar, invited them to indulge in a whiskey tasting, encouraged them to partake in a distinguished photo booth and delivered a delicious plate of appetizers.

Throughout the activation, live actors interacted with partygoers. A staged dressing room was protected by security guards, instructed to only allow “staff” to enter, though regular folk could glimpse a QR code through the clumsily closed, red velvet curtains. A club kid sidled up to patrons, asking if they liked to party, noting he was defying Oz’s wishes by “dealing” in the lounge — the contraband was a wrapped souvenir pin. In the speakeasy, a young woman in fancy dress jumped into the photo booth before complaining that Oz didn’t think she was ready for the stage, even though she wanted nothing more than to be a dancer. Overall, it was a memorable and unique experience that had no equal this year.