Your guide to UwU Con 2024 in Scottsdale: Tickets, guests and more

Metro Phoenix pop-culture event UwU Con is returning this weekend with some major upgrades, including a new venue and more ways to geek out.

The three-day anime and animation convention takes place from Friday to Sunday at WestWorld of Scottsdale and will feature celebrity guests, cosplay meetups, a vendor hall and a new anime art show.

UwU Con co-founder Preston Stetzer says this year's event will also offer an expanded focus on gaming and Western animation.

“We're moving in the direction of making this a broader show with more Western animation and American cartoons to go along with what we already offer for anime fans,” Stetzer says. “We also wanted a larger focus on gaming, so we’ve added (trading card games) and stuff like speed puzzling.” UwU Con 2024 will also feature some of the event’s most high-profile guests to date, including Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants), Billy West from “Futurama" and prolific voice actress Grey DeLisle.

UwU Con organizers have also lowered the cost of admission.

“We've grown in size, but we've also listened to feedback from fans,” Stetzer says. “So we’ve cut our prices by 30% this year.”

What else awaits at UwU Con 2024 this weekend? Check out the following guide for complete details about the event, including information on special guests, vendors, programming, cosplay and more.

When and where is UwU Con 2024?

UwU Con 2024 runs from Friday to Sunday at WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale. Events will take place in the North Hall located off of 94th Street and WestWorld Way.

What time is UwU Con 2024?

UwU Con’s official hours are as follows:

• Friday, noon to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Early entry to the vendor hall is available an hour prior to opening for VIP badge holders. Late-night events will start at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

UwU Con 2024 admission prices

UwU Con badges can be purchased in advance at uwu.com or at the event. (Prices will increase by $10 for each admission option when purchased onsite.) Here’s a full breakdown of advance admission prices for UwU Con 2024:

• Single-day admission (ages 11 and up): $35
• Weekend full event (ages 11 and up): $69
• VIP admission (ages 11 and up): $95
• Squad pack (with admission for four people): $195
• Children ages 10 and under: Free with a paid adult

VIP admission includes early entry into the vendor hall, access to express signature lines and an exclusive UwU Con shirt and swag bag.

What’s the Otaku Pass?

An Otaku Pass is an add-on that lets UwU Con attendees meet and get autographs from Japanese voice actors Yoichi Masukawa, Kikuko Inoue, Rie Tanaka and Nobuyuki Hiyama at the event. Prices range from $125 to $225 per actor. (Regular admission to UwU Con must also be purchased.) Passes and more info are available here.

UwU Con 2024 badge pickup

Badge purchases and pickup are available onsite at the tented structure in front of the North Hall at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

Does UwU Con have an age limit?

UwU Con is all ages, but late-night activities are limited to attendees who are 18 and over.

UwU Con 2024 special guests

More than 20 voice actors and actresses are scheduled to appear at this year’s event. Here’s a complete list of special guests at UwU Con 2024:

• Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”)
• Billy West (“Ren & Stimpy,” “Futurama”)
• Maurice LaMarche ("Animaniacs," "Pink and the Brain")
• Ben Diskin ("Naruto," "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure”)
• Rob Paulsen (“Animaniacs,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)
• Kira Buckland ("JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean”)
• Neil Kaplan (“Digimon,” “Bleach”)
• David Sobolov ("One Piece," "Transformers Prime")
• Grey DeLisle (“The Fairly OddParents,” “The Simpsons”)
• Bryson Baugus (“Attack on Titan,” “Honkai: Star Rail”)
• Greg Baldwin ("Avatar: The Last Airbender," "BioShock")
• Abigail Blythe ("I’m in Love with a Villainess," "Vinland Saga")
• Brian Donovan ("Naruto," "Digimon Tamers")
• John Swasey ("Rebuild of Evangelion," "One Piece")
• Matthew David Rudd ("Jujutsu Kaisen," "Tower of God")
• Nolan North ("Uncharted," "Assassin's Creed")
• Skip Stellrecht ("Naruto," "Cowboy Bebop")
• Xander Mobus ("Sword Gai," "Naruto: Shippuden")
• Yoichi Masukawa* ("Naruto,” “Gokusen”)
• Kikuko Inoue* ("Shimajiro," "Lunar: The Silver Star")
• Rie Tanaka* (“Mobile Suit Gundam Seed,” “Chobits”)
• Nobuyuki Hiyama* (“Bleach,” “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”)

Note: Guests with an asterisk are only available with the purchase of an Otaku Pass.

How much are autographs and selfies at UwU Con?

Prices range from $20 to $200 for autographs and from $20 to $120 for selfies. Click here for a complete price list for each celebrity guest.

Getting to WestWorld of Scottsdale

WestWorld of Scottsdale is located southeast of Bell and Pima roads. Here are the most direct routes to the venue:

• From the East Valley: Take northbound Loop 101 Freeway to Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard/Bell Road (Exit 38). Continue north past Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, turn right onto WestWorld Way and follow signs to the K Lot.
• From the West/North Valley: Take eastbound Loop 101/Pima Freeway to Princess Drive/Pima Road (Exit 36). Turn left onto Bell Road, continue east to 94th Street, then turn right and follow signs to the K Lot.

Parking at WestWorld of Scottsdale

Parking is available in the K Lot for $10 per vehicle.

UwU Con’s entry process and security

Attendees will pass through metal detectors and undergo prop and bag checks by security at the entrance to the North Hall.

UwU Con’s prop and costume policies

According to UwU Con’s website, the event has the following cosplay and prop rules:

• Cosplayers are required to abide by all state and local decency laws.
• Males in bodysuits or tight-fitting costumes are required to wear dance belts.
• Shoes will pointed heels or tips (including stilettos and stilts) aren’t allowed.
• Prop weapons will be peace-tied by security and cannot be brandished.
• Prop guns are allowed, but must have orange tips and cannot fire projectiles or be pointed at others. Replica pistols must be kept in a holster while replica rifles must need to be slung.
• Metal weapons aren’t allowed. Swords, axes, spears and pikes must be made from wood, PVC, foam, plastic, cardboard or paper.
• Paddles of any variety (including yaoi paddles) aren’t allowed.
• Exotic weapons will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by security.

UwU Con bag policy

Oversized bags and backpacks are not allowed. All other bags will be subject to search by event security.

What else isn’t allowed at UwU Con?

The following items are prohibited at UwU Con:

• Drugs or illegal substances
• Hoverboards, skateboards, drones, carts, wagons, Segways or non-ADA scooters
• Laser pointers
• Fireworks, sparklers or other incendiary devices or flammable liquids
• Coolers
• Helium or Mylar balloons
• Confetti or glitter

Cosplay at UWU Con 2024

Cosplay activities like meetups, workshops and showcases will take place each day at UwU Con 2024. More than 30 cosplay guests are scheduled to appear, such as local stars like Sapphire Nova, Iota and PrueDuctions Creations. Various cosplay groups from the local geek scene will also have booths at the event, including Umbrella Corporation AZ Hive, Heroes United AZ and the Tucson Steampunk Society. A full list of UwU Con’s cosplay guests is available here.

UwU Con's cosplay contest and skit showcase will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Competitors will be judged on their craftsmanship and performances with trophies and cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in multiple categories. Details are available here.

Gaming at UwU Con

UwU Con attendees can get their game on in a variety of ways at the event. Options include the following:

• Board Games
• Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPG)
• Speed Puzzling
• Trading Card Games (TCG)
• Video game consoles

Various gaming tournaments and competitions will be held all three days of UwU Con. More info is available here.

Vendors and artists at UwU Con

Stetzer says UwU Con 2024 will host a curated selection of more than 150 vendors. The selection of vendors will include retailers like Samurai Comics, jewelry creators like Kitten Karnage and anime-focused merch companies like Waifu Wares. An artist alley will feature 100 different artists from Arizona and elsewhere. A map to the vendor hall and artist alley is available here.

UwU Con art show

The Amazing Art Expo will be located outside of the North Hall and will showcase hundreds of anime-inspired works by such renowned artists as Christopher Clark, Megan Whitley and Dominic Glover. Admission is free to UwU Con badgeholders and the general public.

Food and drinks at UwU Con

Statzer says a selection of local food and drink vendors curated by UwU Con co-founder and chef Justin Park. Full bars will also sell alcohol to anyone who is 21 and older.

Late-night events at UwU Con

A kick-off party will take place at 8:30 p.m. on Friday with an hour-long interactive performance by Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas, a high-energy “RocknSoul” party band led by the “SpongeBob SquarePants” star. Admission is free for VIP badgeholders and $40 for all other UwU Con attendees.

The UwU Con Dance Party will take place from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday with DJ sets from Kantasy, Z-ØN and ThiiNyx. Admission is $5 for all UwU Con badgeholders.