MEFCC 2026 guide: tickets, lineup and how to get there — Dubai shuttle registration closes today

Dubai: Middle East Film & Comic Con lands at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 11 to 13 September, and if you've been sitting on the fence, the fence is getting narrower. VIP tickets are sold out. Standard tickets are still available but the organisers are pushing an advance-purchase discount which isn't available if you get tickets at the venue.

This year's edition arrives later than planned. It was originally scheduled for 24 to 26 April and was postponed because of regional conflict. If you bought an April ticket, it should have transferred automatically, so check your provider account or email and contact MEFCC ticket support if the updated details haven't come through.

Here's the dates, prices, who's actually coming, and what's inside once you're through the door.

Dates and timings

When: Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026 Where: ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi Doors: Friday 3pm to 11pm, Saturday 12pm to 11pm, Sunday 12pm to 11pm

Friday opens later than the weekend days and VIP holders get an hour of early access on day one.

Ticket prices

Standard passes are the only tier left. Prices vary by day, and Saturday is the expensive one for a reason: it's the busiest.

Friday 1-day pass: Dh160
Saturday 1-day pass: Dh190
Sunday 1-day pass: Dh160
3-day pass: Dh390

Every standard ticket covers entry, access to the Meet the Stars area, and all the zones and competitions. Note the catch on Meet the Stars: entry gets you into the area, but autograph and photograph vouchers are bought separately at the venue during the event.

Buying in advance saves around 20 per cent against the door price, and there's a buy-three-get-one-free deal running on both one-day and three-day passes if you're going as a group.

The cheaper routes in

Kids 6 and under: free, wristband collected onsite, ID verification may be required
Ages 7 to 11: Dh50, purchased at the venue only
School students: Dh80 on a 1-day pass, register in advance for a discount code
University students: Dh100 on a 1-day pass, same registration process
Friends and family: buy 3 get 1 free on both 1-day and 3-day tickets, described as a limited time offer
People of Determination: free entry plus one chaperone, present your POD card at the ticketing hall desk

Student tickets need proof of ID and are not sold at the door, so the registration form has to be completed beforehand.

What VIP would have got you

All three tiers are gone, but the breakdown is worth keeping for next year, because the differences between them were substantial.

VIP, Dh1,300: 3-day VIP access, 2 Meet the Stars vouchers, VIP queue for autographs and additional voucher purchases, VIP swag bag, dedicated ticket collection point, one hour early access on day one, front row seating at the Main Stage
Super VIP, Dh2,730: everything above, but with 5 vouchers, Super VIP queues and free parking
Ultimate VIP, Dh5,880: 10 vouchers, plus the only tier that included a 30-minute private grouped meet and greet with celebrities, alongside the top-priority queues, free parking and the Ultimate swag bag

The two things that genuinely separated the tiers were the voucher allocation and the private meet and greet. Free parking appeared at Super VIP and above, but not at entry-level VIP. If you want any of this in 2027, the pattern is clear: Super Early Bird sold out within three days last time.

Who's coming

The headline name is John Cena, WWE veteran and star of Peacemaker and the Fast franchise. Simu Liu, Marvel's Shang-Chi and Ken in Barbie, is also confirmed.

One Piece has a strong showing, with Mackenyu (Zoro), Jacob Romero (Usopp) and Charithra Chandran, who plays Nefertari Vivi and is better known to a different audience as Edwina Sharma in Bridgerton.

Elsewhere: Pom Klementieff, Mantis across four Marvel films; Arden Cho, the voice of Rumi in KPop Demon Huntersand previously Kira in Teen Wolf; and Joonas Suotamo, who played Chewbacca across three Star Wars films.

The Comic Creators Club is unusually deep this year. Jim Cheung, Federico Vicentini, Brett Breeding of Death of Superman, Dexter Soy, Ken Lashley, Francesco Mobili, Mike Choi, Jimbo Salgado and Frank Martin are all listed.

The day-by-day appearance schedule goes up closer to the event, which matters if you're buying a single day.

What's inside

Beyond Meet the Stars, the floor is split into zones: Artist Alley, the Bookworm Lounge, Collectors Gallery for rare and graded pieces, the Gaming Arena, and a new Otaku District built around Asian pop culture, music and performance.

The TCG Arena is running three tournaments across three days with 300 player slots, and registration is nearly full. There's also a Tabletop Zone with RPG campaigns and learn-to-play sessions, plus the Main Stage panels and screenings of the shortlisted Short Film Competition entries.

Outside sits the Festival Plaza, with live entertainment, the Cosplay Competition and food trucks.

Cosplay rules worth reading

The terms are explicit that costumes, props, language and behaviour must align with UAE law and local cultural norms. Prohibited items include weapons and anything deemed offensive or culturally inappropriate. Photography of other attendees requires their consent.

Getting there from Dubai and Sharjah

The shuttle is the headline option, and the one with a deadline. MEFCC is running buses from both emirates to ADNEC and back on every show day. Registration (on the MEFCC website) closes on 2 September or once seats are gone, and you need to have bought your event ticket before you can book a seat.

Driving yourself, the closest parking is Car Park B, accessed from Al Multaqa Street. MEFCC attendees get a discounted rate of Dh40 per day, and you can buy the parking pass online (through the MEFCC website) in advance rather than sorting it at the barrier.

Public transport, taxis and the airport

Bus: ADNEC is served by route 040
Careem: 15 per cent off rides to and from ADNEC with the promo code ADNEC
Abu Dhabi Taxi: book on 600 53 53 53, with a rank at the adjacent Aloft hotel entrance
Airport: Abu Dhabi International is roughly 15 minutes from the venue