The Tampa Bay Comic Convention opens at the Tampa Convention Center on September 4, headlined by a guest roster the organizer's Instagram describes as running "from John Cena to Ann-Margret." More than 80 guests from across film, television, comics, and adjacent pop culture are announced for the three-day run through September 6.
Daily hours run Friday from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., per the organizer. A vendor hall, cosplay, and panels covering comics, anime, gaming, and science fiction are scheduled across all three days. Single-day and three-day passes are available.
The top-of-lineup pairing signals a deliberate cross-generational reach. Cena, whose trajectory from professional wrestling into film and television has broadened his audience considerably, represents one draw. Ann-Margret, whose career has long made her a fixture on the autograph and classic Hollywood circuit at convention appearances, represents another. The 80-plus announced guest list — spanning comics, anime, gaming, and science fiction — extends that same logic across the full program.
One confirmed change: the organizer's Instagram notes that Ron Perlman's scheduled appearance has been postponed. No rescheduled date or replacement was indicated in the post.
The convention closes Sunday at 5 p.m. Whether the full announced roster holds through opening day — and when Perlman's appearance might be rescheduled — are the questions to track as the weekend opens.
