Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon

@britfantasysoc.bsky.social

5 Nov 2025

Eastercon is the UK's annual science fiction convention for book lovers & writers Iridescence, 2026's Eastercon will be at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, 3-6 April 2026. Tickets on sale now Guests of Honour include @rjbarker.bsky.social @emmanewman.bsky.social & @drkarenlord.bsky.social

Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon reposted

British Fantasy Society

19 Apr

A question at @easterconuk.bsky.social had @davidgreenwriter.bsky.social pondering why neurodivergent creatives seek out other neurodivergent creatives: It’s all about acceptance. britishfantasysociety.org/searching-fo...

So long and thanks to all the fans...thank you for being part of something so special. Anyone who’s ever helped run an Eastercon knows this isn’t “just an event”. Eastercon is the beating heart of our community.

A few highlights for those lovers of stats: * Total membership: 940 * In‑person attendees: 813 * Programme participants: 208 across 173 items * Replay available: 115 items, over 112 hours * Artists: 45, with 1,000+ items * Dealers: 46 * Fan Tables: 15

How did we do? This is the final reminder to please complete the Membership Survey- you got it by email/ available on the member portal. It’s short, it genuinely helps future Eastercons, and everyone who completes it will be entered into a prize draw for membership to a future Eastercon.

Each year is a conversation with those before us, and a responsibility to learn, grow, and pass what we’ve learned on to those who’ll come next. Sustaining and nurturing Eastercon, grounded in service and generosity. Giving time & energy to create something meaningful, sustainable, and connective.

A massive thank you to: * 135 volunteers your generosity of time, energy, & ideas made everything possible. * James Turner, Tech Hero, and winner of 2026 Doc Weir Award. * Our amazing Guests, Artists, Programme Participants, Dealers, and Fan Orgs. You made the con so rich, varied, and exciting.

the-portal-bookshop.square.siteThe Portal Bookshop

5 Apr

Remember everyone the Art Show closes at 4 today so if you want to have a wander and pick up some of the amazing art then do it soon!

Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon reposted

D Franklin

@dlibris.bsky.social

4 Apr

For @easterconuk.bsky.social attendees who want to buy @drkarenlord.bsky.social, @older.bsky.social, and @annaleen.bsky.social's anthology We Will Rise Again, especially after the excellent panel earlier, @portalbookshop.bsky.social have you covered! the-portal-bookshop.square.site/product/-pre...

3 Apr

The opening ceremony is over, the panels have started, streams are steaming, the dealers are dealing, the art show is showing, the games are playing…. Are we quackers or are our the ducks they are finally, finally, in a row?

2 Apr

FANS BRING YOUR FANS! Wonderful Eastercon Fans we cannot wait to welcome you here. We have been made aware by the hotel that the air conditioning is currently not working in a couple of programme rooms.

2 Apr

There are mitigations in place and we are working to make it better but for your own comfort if you have handheld (not electronic) fans please do bring the. Please bare with us and the hotel. We are grateful for your patience.

29 Mar

In Memoriam: At the opening ceremony we will be taking a moment to remember members of our community, and adjacent to it, who have died since the last Eastercon. If you’d like a name included you can submit a name via the form in the members portal.

We are incredibly grateful to the support from @laworldcon.bsky.social to enable us to share the convention with as many members as possible! They will also have a robust virtual programme so do go check them out!

Los Angeles Worldcon@laworldcon.bsky.social

LAcon V is excited to announce that we are providing sponsorship for Iridescence, this year's @easterconuk.bsky.social! Eastercon is the UK’s annual national convention for sci-fi & fantasy, bringing together fans, creators, & industry professionals for a long weekend of ideas, stories, & community.

Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon reposted

Los Angeles Worldcon

@laworldcon.bsky.social

**Vote in the Doc Weir Award** Let’s celebrate the people who make fandom happen. What is the Doc Weir Award? The Doc Weir Award is a reminder that this behind‑the‑scenes work is seen. That fellow fans notice, appreciate, and value what you give to the community.

So if you know someone who quietly devotes their time, energy, ideas, or support to making things happen in fandom, please consider nominating them for the 2026 Doc Weir Award.

eastercon2026.org/progress-rep...

eastercon2026.orgProgress Report 3 - Readme | Iridescence

Why Vote? It enables us to make sure the people who keep fandom running, often quietly, often invisibly, know how much they matter.

portal.eastercon2026.orgIridescence - The 2026 Eastercon Member PortalThe Member Portal for Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon.

How to vote? All members of Iridescence can take part in the write‑in ballot at convention, and you can vote either on paper or online via the form linked in the portal or ReadMe. portal.eastercon2026.org

Why is it called this? Named in memory of Dr Arthur Rose “Doc” Weir and first presented in 1963, the Doc Weir Award is given each year to someone the members of that year's Eastercon feel has made a truly noteworthy contribution to UK fandom.

eastercon2026.orgProgress reports | Iridescence

23 Mar

***READ ME TIME*** It's the final countdown .... 11 days to go and we are really excited and exceptionally busy as the final pieces fall into place. We’re delighted to share that Progress Report 3 is now live on our website! eastercon2026.org/progress-rep...

23 Mar

This is the READ ME edition with lots of key info for the con, so please do read it! There are a few things that we are still waiting on confirmation from the hotel (the opening times for the real ale bar and the final location of the quiet room). We will announce on the discord & post on SM asap.

portal.eastercon2026.orgIridescence - The 2026 Eastercon Member PortalThe Member Portal for Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon.

**KLAXON** We just keep the good times coming for you. With only 14 days until the convention kicks off we are really getting excited to welcome you and so we want to do it early, so we are delighted to tell announce that our members portal and Discord server are now live.

We hope you will find a convenient and fun place to chat via text with other attendees about the convention, programme items, and fandom in general, as well as coordinate plans, arrange ad hoc meetups, and play games together. Problems accessing either then email online-help@eastercon2026.org

Our amazing IT and Discord team have been working furiously to create a space that will be informative, creative, and fun, broadening out the community further and bringing together those in-person and online. We are enormously grateful to them. We look forward to seeing you in the Discord.

portal.eastercon2026.orgIridescence - The 2026 Eastercon Member PortalThe Member Portal for Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon.

It is full of useful resources for your at-con experience, whether you are in person or online. As we get closer to the convention, more and more of those resources will become active, such as the newsletter and sign-up for limited-space programme items.

Discord: You can join the Discord server by by first logging in to our Member Portal, and then clicking on the “Chat online” card. The Discord server is open to both online and in-person attendees aged 13 and over. It is an official convention space and is governed by the code of conduct.

portal.eastercon2026.orgIridescence - The 2026 Eastercon Member PortalThe Member Portal for Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon.

portal.eastercon2026.orgIridescence - The 2026 Eastercon Member PortalThe Member Portal for Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon.

Member Portal: The member portal will be your online hub for all things Iridescence linking you to everything you need to know and some things you might just be curious about! You can access the portal here: portal.eastercon2026.org

guide.eastercon2026.orgConClár Program GuideGlasgow 2024 Programme Guide

The moment we've waiting for is here - programme is live! The Programme team have been working incredibly hard to bring you this wonderful celebration of our fandoms. It is utterly brimming with delights to keep you chatting and thinking long after the convention is over. guide.eastercon2026.org

We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed to programme and will continue to do so. There are a few items still pending which will be updated in the next couple of days, but we hope you will find plenty of things to get excited about and start adding to your schedule

If you're a programme participant and spot something that needs fixing, please email programme@eastercon2026.org and the team will get that sorted as soon as they can. In the meantime start enjoying the cornucopia of programmatic delights.

guide.eastercon2026.orgConClár Program GuideGlasgow 2024 Programme Guide

So dive in and start making the tough choices of what to go and see. Also thanks to our fabulous tech team, and sponsorship from @laworldcon.bsky.social, many of our items will be available to stream and watch on catch up.

The wizards behind our portal and con software have managed to bewitch the guide so now you can log in and synch your selections between your devices. This way you don't have to worry about forgetting what you picked!

Beyond Cataclysm 🌱Making Books

We are experts in building the mood here at Iridescence. Are you excited yet? It is nearly time.... the Iridescence Programme will winging its way to you today! Keep an eye on your inboxes and these socials.

Iridescence - The 2026 Eastercon reposted

@beyondcataclysm.co.uk

We've got @aireconuk.bsky.social and @easterconuk.bsky.social coming up, check out our stall if you like books and/or RPGs! #conventions #fiction #games

Are you excited yet? Just 25 days to go until Iridescence 2026! If you would like to wear the fabulous Iridescence phoenix at the convention, then now’s the moment to order your merch so it arrives in time. T‑shirts, hoodies, and more are available here: stowshirts.com/collections/...

DEADLINE REMINDER - Future convention bids: If you are planning a bid for a future Eastercon and have not contacted the Chair (chair@eastercon2026.org), you must do so by 10 March.

DEADLINE TOMORROW Programme Participants complete your responses on PlanZ by 9pm UTC 10th March. PlanZ may display the error message: "You are not currently registered for Iridescence. If you believe this to be in error, please contact Programming." This is a bug. Ignore it. We are working on it.

**Klaxon** Programme Participants: your draft schedule is live! The draft schedule is now on PlanZ. You must log in to accept or reject your items. If you do not do this you may lose them. Deadline is 9pm UTC on Tuesday 10 March. We've tried to accommodate as many items and people as possible.

Book launches: If you requested a book launch, we are still allocating space for these. Most are currently placeholders. We will contact authors and publishers with proposed arrangements in the coming days. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Future bids: If you are planning a bid for a future Eastercon and have not contacted chair@eastercon2026.org, you must do so by 10 March. We also hope to include an opportunity for future Worldcon bids to introduce themselves and answer questions once the Eastercon business session is finalised.

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence

PlanZ may show an incorrect message saying you are not registered. Please ignore it. We are fixing it. Full info: eastercon2026.org/programme

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence

23 Feb

Reminder Session Selection for Programme closes on 25th February - midnight UTC! You have 2 days left to indicate what you might be interested in doing on the Iridescence Programme. There have been new items added over the week so do dip in and check. eastercon2026.org/programme

23 Feb

Do not miss your chance to get involved! If you have any questions we are always happy to help at programme@eastercon2026.org

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence

Item Selection for the Iridescence Programme is NOW OPEN! Deadline *midnight* (UTC) on 25th February 2026! We are delighted to invite you to let us know the programme items you would love to take part in for Iridescence 2026. Full info can be found on our webpage: eastercon2026.org/programme

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence

We are adding more items throughout the week so keep checking back to see what is new. Remember that you need to be a member and use the same email address as your membership. Item selection closes at 12 pm midnight UTC on 25 February 2026. Do not miss your chance to get involved!

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence

If you have any questions we are always happy to help at programme@eastercon2026.org eastercon2026.org/programme

eastercon2026.orgProgramme at Iridescence | Iridescence