Three years after it closed its doors, CCC is finally back. Alix Norman was amongst the thousands of visitors who revelled in today’s excitements
In 2019, a mere five years after it began, the island’s largest annual event shut down.
It was a huge blow for Cyprus’ community of cosplayers, collectors and creators; for its geeks, gamers and graphic designers; its artists, authors and anime fans. From nerds to ninjas, thousands lost their annual meeting place – the hub of community that saw nearly 20,000 descend, once a year, to get their geek on.
But today, three years later, the doors have reopened. This weekend, Cyprus Comic Con has finally returned. And it’s bigger, brighter and better than ever…
Taking place on October 7 and 8 at Nicosia’s State Fair, the return of the CCC has been highly anticipated. For months, run-up events have built excitement to fever pitch. And today, Saturday 7, the extravaganza has drawn so many people that, by 10 in the morning, traffic is backed up all the way to the highway.
By 11am, thousands have arrived. From talkative teens to fun-loving families, the pavilions are heaving. While the central stage blares music over the food court, inside the halls everything from the Artists Alley to Table Top Gaming is doing a roaring trade.
Special guest stars (including Stranger Things’ Tom Wlaschiha and Game of Thrones’ Miltos Yerolemou) are posing for pics and signing autographs by the hundred. Gamers are setting up for mass tournament shoot-outs. Riotous rounds of Laser Tag are happening in the corners.
There’s a Nasa Space Apps competition drawing talented teens. And a Shopping pavilion filled with parents snapping up special offers from Stephanis, Public and Pow.
In the Medieval Zone, wicked witches mix magic potions to the ethereal tunes of Arnulf the Bard, while knights joust to the OMG-that-looked-real death. Behind them, WWE wrestling stars delight ring-side crowds with breath-taking Moonsaults and Piledrivers.
The highlight of any Comic Con is, of course, the cosplay. The actual competition takes place on Saturday evening. But there are hundreds of costumed cosplayers amongst the crowd: Mandalorians, Jokers and pirates; characters from Genshin Impact, from One Piece and Star Wars.
Even the vendors have joined in the fun: Cablenet knights roam the boulevards; an evil clown at Games & Gadgets cackles over her wares; and, at Fire Alchemy, enchanted elves presented punters with piping hot chilli sauce.
In short, the CCC is an extravaganza of enjoyment; a celebration of unbridled enthusiasm and boundless creativity. Finally, fun has returned to the island! It was worth the wait.
Cyprus Comic Con 2023 takes place at Nicosia’s State Fair on October 7 and 8. For more information, visit https://cypruscomiccon.org/
