Hollywood actor Charlie Cox, who headlines Marvel's "Daredevil" TV show, was one of a host of celebrities who made an appearance at MEFCC 2022 in Abu Dhabi. Photo Credit: MEFCC
The Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) showcased its highly
popular three-day extravaganza at its new home, the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), in March this year.
Now
into its tenth year, the MEFCC is the Middle East's largest pop culture
festival, eagerly awaited and sought after by an avid fan community.
The festival celebrates film and television, comic book culture,
animation, and gaming as well as anime and cosplay, attracting fans of
all ages. Since its inception in 2012, the event was held annually at
the Dubai World Trade Centre but shifted to the Emirates' capital in
2022 where it has made a splashy debut.
The Informa Connect-organised event was housed in two halls at ADNEC
and comprised of exhibition space, meet-and-greet areas, the main stage
and activation areas. A designated "Artists Alley" provided a showcase
for local and regional artists and creators while a "Party Plaza" took
over one of ADNEC’s outdoor spaces. Additional entertainment was
provided in the "Central Plaza," which featured a skate park, food truck
zone, and an outdoor stage with DJ and dance performances.
The event attracted 24,000 unique visitors, more than 250 exhibitors
and in excess of 200 media representatives as well as over 50 regional
influencers. Visitors came from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Northern
Emirates as well as surrounding GCC countries, with nearly half (41%) of
whom visited from Saudi Arabia.
Although attendance was down in comparison to pre-Covid iterations of
the MEFCC, annual average MEFCC attendance figures had topped 45,000 in
2018, according to the Dubai World Trade Centre, the post-Covid 2022
turnout was still "higher than expected," according to an industry
report.
Event highlights included celebrity meet-and-greets as well as panels
from film and TV stars, workshops, entertainment and cosplay, dance and
gaming competitions with top prizes of up to AED30,000 (US$8,000)
awarded to winners.
Celebrities in attendance included fan favourites and actresses
Nathalie Emanuel from HBO's Game of Thrones and Ming Na-Wen from
Disney+'s The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Hollywood actors
Barry Keoghan, Charlie Cox, and Michael Rooker from the Marvel Cinematic
Universe (MCU) and beyond. Creators and artists from publishers such as
Marvel and DC were also on hand for workshops and panels.