Official BotCon ’26 Updates
News & Announcements
Stay up to date with the latest BotCon ’26 announcements, guest reveals, and event updates.
Guest Announcement 2026
Final Guest Announced — Daniel Riordan
Daniel Riordan

BotCon ’26 is thrilled to welcome Daniel Riordan to Chicago this July! Best known to many as Turbo-Man from the holiday classic Jingle All The Way, Daniel brings decades of experience across television, film, animation, and video games.

Transformers fans will instantly recognize his work from the 2001 Transformers: Robots in Disguise animated series, where he voiced two iconic characters on opposite sides of the battle between good and evil — the ruthless Predacon leader Megatron and the powerful combined form of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, Omega Prime!

Appearance pricing TBA — view guest details here
Exclusive Reveal 2026
Official BotCon ’26 Exclusive Reveal — Sideburn VS Menasor!

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Robots in Disguise, we are thrilled to reveal the Official BotCon Chicago Transformers Yolopark Exclusive Set — Sideburn VS Menasor!

Sideburn is one of the most recognized characters from the series and has appeared in various Transformers and related media since 2001 — we are excited to bring him back to the main stage for this anniversary. But what’s that you say — this unreleased deco of Universe Menasor was not intended for RID? You’ll just have to wait for BotCon July 10–12 to see how it all ties together.

This exclusive VS set is included with ALL BotCon Chicago Premium and Premium Plus packages and will be available for purchase at the show, quantities permitting. Limited to 504 pieces.

Sideburn VS Menasor Set
Menasor
Sideburn
BotCon Mystery Box
Included with Premium & Premium Plus packages — view registration options
Guest Announcement 2026
New Guest Announced — David Sobolov
David Sobolov

BotCon ’26 is excited to welcome voice actor David Sobolov to Chicago this July! David has voiced featured roles in the Transformers franchise for over 30 years — a true legend of the brand.

You may know him as Depth Charge from Beast Wars, Shockwave in Transformers Prime, Blitzwing in the Paramount feature Bumblebee, Brawl in Transformers: The Game, and as Apelinq and Battletrap in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. David studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.

Appearance pricing TBA — view guest details here
Art Contest 2026
BotCon ’26 Art Contest — Now Accepting Entries

The BotCon ’26 Art Contest is back! Show off your talent and compete against fellow Transformers fans in four categories — 3D Custom Figure/Display, 2D Computer Generated, 2D Hand Drawn, and Photography.

Entry submission is limited to two entries per person and you must be a registered attendee to participate. You are encouraged to register your entry prior to BotCon — late submissions accepted pending available space.

Set Up Time
Friday, July 10 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Judging Period
Friday through Saturday at noon
Winners Announced
At Awards Night
Removal Time
Sunday at 1:00 PM
Daily Admission 2026
Daily Admission Now Available at the Door

Can’t make it for the full weekend? Daily admission passes are available at the door for BotCon ’26 in Chicago. No advance purchase required — just show up!

Friday · July 10
$40
Saturday · July 11
$40
Sunday · July 12
$25
Weekend packages still offer the best value — view all registration options here
Early Bird April 2026
BotCon Early Bird Announcement!

Everyone that attends BotCon ’26 in Chicago this year will once again be able to snag ALL NINE Special Convention Exclusive Pins.

The first pin is easy to get. If you are a VENDOR, ARTIST, or FAN ATTENDEE, simply get your registration in by 12am CST on May 24th, and you will get the FREE “Movie Thundercracker” pin. You can register right here.

These yearly pins are highly sought after at the show and have only gone up in value and collectibility — so don’t miss out on your chance to collect all 9! Reference the full pin guide here.

Can’t wait to see everyone in Chicago July 9–12 at the Schaumburg Convention Center for BotCon ’26!

Early Bird Deadline — May 24th, 2026 · 12am CST
Movie Thundercracker Free Pin
Free Early Bird Pin
Full 9 Pin Collection Guide
Complete 9 Pin Collection
Event Info 2026
BotCon 2026 — Convention Dates & Schedule

BotCon 2026 is coming to Chicago, Illinois at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Mark your calendars for July 10–12, 2026.

Early activities begin on Thursday, July 9th — including Package Pick-Up, BotCon Store shopping, Custom Class, and Product Previews. Premium and Premium Plus attendees get first access.

Convention Dates
July 10–12, 2026
Pre-Events Begin
Thursday, July 9
Thursday Activities
Package Pick-Up · BotCon Store · Custom Class · Product Previews
Venue
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center · Schaumburg, IL
Full schedule available on the Schedule page