San Diego Comic-Con Málaga Begins a New Era Under the Direction of Fernando Piquer

San Diego Comic-Con Málaga officially announced on Wednesday the results of its first edition outside the United States and named Fernando ... Piquer as the general manager. This appointment marks the beginning of a new phase focused on organizational strengthening and project consolidation.

Piquer takes the helm of SDCC Málaga bringing over 30 years of experience in the animation, video games, and esports sectors. Before joining the project, he was the Director of Global Strategy at Movistar KOI and founder and CEO of the esports team Movistar Riders. Previously, his career was linked to the design and production of video games at Bitoon Games, where he was founder and CEO; and to animation at Zinkia Entertainment (creator of, among others, the series Pocoyó).

In 2026, he will lead the new phase of the event with the goal of consolidating it as the major pop culture event in Spain with international projection, maintaining the official seal and the original Comic-Con spirit.

According to Piquer, the 2026 edition will be a leap forward. We are going to strengthen the organization, enhance the audience experience, and consolidate San Diego Comic-Con Málaga as the pop culture event in Spain and a major cultural engine for the city of Málaga.

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2025 data

The first edition transformed more than 84,000 m² into the epicenter of creativity, attracting 95,784 attendees over four days. 78.5% of the audience came from the rest of Spain and 18% from Málaga, with a predominantly adult profile (88%).

The closing report, prepared in collaboration with external consultants such as PwC Spain and Nielsen, includes the following indicators:

• Total economic impact: 44.3 million euros, of which 23.1 million correspond to direct impact.

• Media impact: 17 billion impressions (OTS) and an Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) of over 140 million euros.

• Industry participation: more than 110 exhibitors and leading brands such as Disney, Nintendo, Lego, and Bandai Namco.

• Content and talent: 450 activities and the presence of more than 30 international guests such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Antonio Banderas, Jim Lee, Norman Reedus, Nobuo Uematsu, Elle Fanning, Jared Leto, and Aaron Paul, among others.

Towards 2026, evolution and operational excellence

Following this first edition, the organization is entering a phase focused on the sustainability of the project and the strengthening of its technical structure. The incorporation of Piquer responds to the desire to combine creative vision and operational management, with the goal that 2026 represents a qualitative evolution in experience, coordination, and content proposal.

The event organization announced that it will soon provide more details about the official institutional presentation, where the dates and main strategic lines of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga 2026 will be detailed.