The excitement and cosplay fun of San Diego Comic-Con is coming to Europe. Under an agreement managed by IMG Licensing, SDCC is setting roots outside the United States for the first time in its history, making its European debut in Mlaga, the Andaluca region of Spain, this September, organizers said on Monday.

For four days from Sept. 25-28, 2025, the city will host the first official San Diego Comic Convention-licensed event outside the U.S. This historic milestone would not have been possible without the institutional support of the Junta de Andaluca and the Mlaga City Council, who have firmly committed to making Mlaga the European capital of popular arts, SDCC said. The international expansion was unveiled during an event at the Gran Hotel Miramar in Mlaga, hosted by director, and screenwriter Santiago Segura, and including Junta de Andaluca president Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, Mayor of Mlaga Francisco de la Torre Prados, David Glanzer, chief communications strategy officer of the organization behind SDCC, and Jaime Lpez-Francos, CEO of Dentsu Spain Portugal.

The event also brought together more than 200 exclusive guests from the worlds of film, entertainment, television, comics, and illustration, including lex de la Iglesia, Carolina Bang, Paco Plaza, Daniel Snchez Arvalo, Natalia Verbeke, Paloma Bloyd, Eva Ugarte, Tamar Novas, Icar Bollain, Carlos Areces and Joaqun Mazn, SDCC said.

Were very excited to celebrate comics and the popular arts, and share Comic-Cons unique spirit, with audiences in Europe, said Glanzer. We couldnt have found a more vibrant, welcoming, and creative city to begin this exciting new chapter for fans and creators.

Added Bonilla: For the Andalusian government, supporting this event means solidifying Andalusia as a reference in digital art and pop culture, backed by the most powerful gathering of talent.

Mondays launch event included the exhibition of a collectible item, the Infinity Gauntlet, inspired by the iconic artifact of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and designed by Gentle Giant Ltd. The event concluded with a performance by members of the 501st Legion, an international costuming organization dedicated to celebrating Star Wars, who, dressed as Stormtroopers and Darth Vader, guided attendees to the closing cocktails.

Guests were able to enjoy an exclusive atmosphere with a themed cocktail where they were surprised by a flashmob in which some of the attendees revealed themselves as professional dancers, blending in with the guests to the rhythm of the iconic Mission Impossible soundtrack, SDCC said. As a final surprise, the cocktail also featured another guest star: the droid R2D2 who walked among the attendees to greet them.