Opolcon 2024 is over, long live Opolcon 2025! We are taking you on a trip down memory lane through this year’s edition, which took place this past weekend.
Despite the overwhelmingly bad weather and floods, the biggest free festival of its kind in Poland took place without any major hiccups. The convention’s events were attended by a record-high number of people, including 20 media representatives, many of whom were able to join for the first time. They told Radio Sygnały (the University of Opole’s radio station, which our core team is also a part of) about the incredible opportunities to meet new people, discover unknown interests, and explore new places, all while soaking in the amazing atmosphere.
The stalls quickly sold out of their inventory, the range of the examples included everything from handmade jewelry and books to a selection of candles and a wide array of plush frogs. Being split between two schools (the Electrical School Complex and High School No. 8) allowed for this wide variety of products to be available simultaneously, and the lack of entrance fees helped boost the rapid rate at which they were disappearing.
In addition to quizzes, lectures and games – mostly accessible to Polish speakers, the event also featured a meeting with American comic book creator Matthew J. Rainwater, lots of retro consoles and computers (with titles to try out), as well as a cosplay competition that concluded the second day of the festival. Participants and other fans of this form of self-expression were happy to take in-costume photos with others and pose for portraits to use in various publications throughout the entire three days.
The costume show was followed by a concert by the NanoKarrin fandub group, during which some of its members sang Polish-language versions of a few popular songs from movies, TV series, and stage productions. International music lovers were also earlier treated to a short karaoke party organized by one of the convention’s helpers, which quickly evolved into a jam session featuring many classic hits.
With next year’s edition set to take place from September 19th to 21st, we know many are already looking forward to everything that is coming. “It’s my must-see!” exclaimed one of our surveyed interviewees, while another expressed excitement about returning with even more events lined up. During this installment, we have also prepared a surprise for our readers, which we hope to publish by the end of the week. Stay tuned, everyone!
(photos: Opolcon, OPOlink.pl)
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