Jason Isaacs (left) played the sinister Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise. He will be at this weekend's Armageddon at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane. Photo / Supplied
Jason Isaacs (left) played the sinister Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise. He will be at this weekend's Armageddon at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane. Photo / Supplied
For the 24th year in a row, the end of the world is descending on Auckland.
Armageddon, the country's biggest pop culture expo, returns tonight for another long weekend celebrating all things film, television, gaming, comics, and even wrestling.
About 70,000 fans are expected to attend the event at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane this year and about 30 celebrity guests will also be there, including Jason Isaacs (best known as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter) and Napoleon Dynamite himself, Jon Heder.
We've pored through the schedule on your behalf and found the best things you can do this weekend.
What to do
• The first thing you think of when it comes to Armageddon is cosplay. The costumes are always high quality and insanely detailed, and this year will be no exception. The weekend is jam-packed with cosplay activities: cosplay contests, cosplay parades, cosplay panels, a cosplay lip sync concert, as many events as possible to make all those months of sewing and stitching worthwhile. And, for a lighter bent, you can even get your costume roasted thanks to Laughageddon.
• There are dozens of guests attending this year from a wide spectrum of shows and movies, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Runaways, Supergirl, Agents of SHIELD, and Supernatural. There's even some local fun to be had, as stars from Wellington Paranormal make an appearance on Sunday.
• Gaming is a huge part of Armageddon, and this year there is plenty for fans of all platforms. Pokémon trainers can head to Nintendo to sample the latest game, Sword and Shield, before its release next month. Playstation is back in a big way, with the first chance for Kiwis to try out the new Iron Man VR and to sample some of their other new and upcoming titles.
Officers Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary, from Wellington Paranormal, will make an appearance on Sunday afternoon. Photo / Supplied
• For those looking for a more competitive vibe, E-sports is making a splash this year. The Australia/New Zealand regionals for Counter Strike Go take place over the weekend. The winners will head to the world championships in Indonesia. You can also head over to the HP stand, where their Omen challenger series will be running throughout the weekend.
• There are plenty of film and TV highlights. Terminator: Dark Fate makes an appearance, alongside a six-foot replica of the T-800, while for younger fans, the new Addams Family flick will bring some spooky vibes. The stars of Cartoon Network's animated hit We Bare Bears will also be in attendance and will pose for selfies.
• Anime fans are in for a treat; Madman Entertainment is premiering two films exclusively at Armageddon. One Piece: Stampede makes its debut on Saturday night at 7pm, and Promare the following night at the same time.
• For the more adventurous, Electric Kiwi is bringing back its chilli-eating tournament. If you can handle the heat, or at least a Carolina Reaper pepper (2,200,000 Scoville heat units — what a treat), then you could win three months' free power!
• Even if you're not terribly nerdy, Armageddon's worth a visit just for the shopping. Mighty Ape and EB Games are amongst the biggest retailers there, but there are plenty of smaller outfits offering everything from toys, candy and comics to DVDs, figurines, clothing and homeware. For a more unique experience, take a trip through Artist's Alley and find some one-of-a-kind pieces.
Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder is one of the 30-odd celebrity guests attending Armageddon this weekend. Photo / Supplied
Tips
• Not keen on any of the guests and just want to look around or shop? Friday night or Monday would be your safest bets; it's much quieter and the queues to try out the latest games will be significantly shorter.
• Try to avoid parking, as available spaces fill up fast. There are plenty of buses running during the day, and the Ellerslie train station is about 15 minutes' walk from the arena.
• Plan your schedule ahead, especially if you're going on Saturday. It will be crowded and queues for everything — from stores to food trucks — can get long. If you're going for a panel, try and get a spot early on.
• See someone in cosplay you want to snap a pic with? Just remember to be respectful and ask before you do.
• Planning on dressing up as GI Joe? Leave the camouflage at home — military and SWAT-themed costumes, as well as replica firearms (and all real ones) were banned after the mosque shootings.
