AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin has seen a few comic and entertainment conventions come and go, with a few expos still in rotation, but since Galaxy Con closed its Austin convention in 2023, there hasn't been a dedicated convention in the downtown area.
However, the organizers behind a brand new event called PCX Austin are hoping to change that.
“Austin's maybe the 10th largest city in the country, yet it's the biggest city without a comic-con,†Ralph Tedesco, one of the organizers behind PCX Austin, said. “Didn't make sense to me.â€
Scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16 at the Fairmont Austin, the convention goes beyond comics and dives into movies, gaming and pop culture.
Tedesco has worked in the comic and entertainment realm before. As an original co-founder of Zenescope, a comic book and graphic novel company, Tedesco moved to Austin in 2020 and teamed with veteran convention promoter Miriam Kruger to organize the event.
“We know there's hunger, and there's a need for it and a want for it,†Tedesco said. “There is the nerd culture, the geek culture here in Austin.â€
Gallery: Greater Austin Comic Con 2022
Conventions of past and present
With the Austin Convention Center currently under redevelopment, conventions have had to find new places to hold their events. As mentioned before, Galaxy Con previously held a convention in 2023, Greater Austin Comic Con held its convention in July 2025 at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, and IKKiCON holds its convention in Round Rock. Smaller, niche conventions have popped up around Austin specializing in anime, gaming or cards.
Structural construction begins on Austin Convention Center
Tedesco said planning a massive convention from the ground up has its struggles.
“It's been very hectic, but it's also been fun and interesting,†he said. “You kind of can see the appetite out there. You see the people kind of rallying around this idea of a downtown convention.â€
Economic benefit to Austin
In addition to bringing in local fans, Tedesco said he hopes the foot traffic will help create an economic boost by drawing in fans from across Texas.
“We want to grow it over the course of three, five, seven, however long we can grow this thing for over the years and make it bigger and bigger and bigger each year. You know people from Houston are going to come to Austin. You know people from San Antonio will come to Austin for this show,†he said.
Legal battle over Austin Convention Center intensifies ahead of election deadline
Guest announcements
Among a few of the guests announced so far, Tedesco said they have secured actor and writer John Francis Daley, a few members from the cast of Netflix's One Piece, voice actors from the video game franchise Red Dead Redemption, and a reunion of some of the stars from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
For more information on PCX Austin, including information, tickets and guests, you can visit its website.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
