FreakCon turns 10 years old: these are its stars

José Rodríguez Cámara

Torremolinos

At Casa de los Navajas, one of the main tourist attractions in Torremolinos and a place shrouded in some mystery due to the unknown name of its architect and the purpose of the gaps in one of its gardens—rumored to be the entrance to a passage that runs through the entire urban area—a proposal has been presented that could be considered the geekiest of the entire busy calendar of this coastal destination. It's FreakCon, or in other words, the international festival of pop culture, manga, comics, series, and video games in Southern Europe.

This showcase for lovers of healthy obsessions will take place on the upcoming days of May 22, 23, and 24 at the Palacio de Congresos and is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The "mother of the event," director of the meeting, Mónica Ibars, has made it clear that, to blow out the candles, FreakCon is facing what will be its "most ambitious" edition.

There will be over 600 hours of programming spread across activities, concerts, contests, talks, immersive experiences, video games, exhibitions, and thematic areas aimed at audiences of all ages. A considerable offering that, as the main organizer has warned, will require careful selection.

There are still tickets available for those who don't want to miss it, Ibars reminded, also taking the opportunity to inform about some logistical issues, such as the availability of free buses to the venue for those who want to avoid the inconvenience of finding parking, that it is possible to bring your own food and drink to this celebration of geek culture, although there will be 'food truck' stalls to enjoy all kinds of gastronomic experiences, and that the schedule will be extended in this edition.

FreakCon will incorporate for the first time an opening day, with the celebration of K-Pop Fest

Indeed, as one of the main new features of 2026, FreakCon will incorporate for the first time an opening day, on Friday, May 22, starting at 5:00 PM, with the celebration of K-Pop Fest, a thematic 'pre-party' dedicated to Korean pop culture that will enrich the experience.

Regarding the guest names, there will be more than 60 national and international figures, as confirmed.

Among the stars coming from outside Spain are actor Giancarlo Esposito, known for productions like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian, and The Boys; Japanese artist Coda, who is the voice of the Naruto soundtrack; French cosplayer Cinderys; and the Spanish-Japanese singer Tami Tamako, to name a few of the references.

And among the renowned nationals, the Malaga native Esttik, Elesky, Mr. Jägger, Salva Espín, Pasqual Ferry, Natacha Bustos, Jesús Merino, Carolina Jiménez, José Carabias, or Papi Gavi.

Creative Industry

Another key aspect of this FreakCon is to strengthen the commitment to the creative industry and emerging talent with specific spaces dedicated to video game development, illustration, digital content, and new audiovisual narratives, with the goal of consolidating it as a meeting point and reinforcing its role as one of the main dates for contemporary pop culture, serving as a driver of tourist, economic, and cultural impact for Andalusia.

The festival once again has the institutional support of the Torremolinos City Council, the Provincial Council of Málaga, Turismo Costa del Sol, and the Andalusian Government, along with SUR as a 'media partner', joined by the participation of major brands and entities linked to leisure, technology, and cultural industry such as Nintendo, Bandai Namco, OXO Video Game Museum, Red Bull, Maggi, Burger King, GAME, Erik Store, DEV, AEVI, LEGO, EVAD, Comic Stores, and Hotel Costa Málaga By Pierre & Vacances.

Support

The institutional presentation included the participation of Margarita del Cid, mayor of Torremolinos; Luis José Rodríguez del Pozo, deputy delegate for Security and Emergencies; Carlos García, territorial delegate for Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Andalusian Government and Digital Agency of Andalusia.

Del Cid thanked the organization for their involvement and effort to form, in her words, "a lineup with guests of great international prestige, as well as to design a schedule of complementary activities that everyone can participate in and that reflects the latest trends."

"If every day of the year we are paradise, from May 22 to 24 we become the paradise of the thousands of followers attracted by pop culture, anime, comics, video games, and generally, digital creation."

Luis Rodríguez has highlighted the "effort and commitment of the organizers, so that FreakCon continues to celebrate year after year and reaches its tenth birthday with the support of institutions like the Province of Málaga."

"When we talk about FreakCon, we're not just talking about digital entertainment and 'geek' culture. We're talking about a community and its passion for pop culture. We're discussing an essential event for understanding the creative industry in our province, and a strategic project for tourism," he added.

Regarding Carlos García, he made it clear that the collaboration of the Andalusian government is justified by the fact that FreakCon is a solid attraction for attracting visitors to the Costa del Sol and highlighted that the celebration coincides with Geek Pride Day.

"Málaga has become the place where everyone wants to organize their events," he said, also recalling the regional administration's support for the Indie Zone, aimed at both the general public and industry professionals, an area that presents an opportunity to connect talent, industry, and community in the same environment."

There will be a jury composed of professionals from this industry that will award a prize to the best video game of the edition, a prize endowed with 1,000 euros, recognizing the quality, innovation, and creativity of the participating projects.

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