What: BroadwayCon
Where: Westin Times Square
270 SW. 43rd St.
&
Palladium Times Square
1515 Broadway
Who: All ages
When: This event occurred from January 23 to January 25, 2026
In some ways, BroadwayCon is a shadow of its former self. Previously, there were numerous panels to choose from at any time, but now (at least this year), there were a lot fewer. Although too many choices can be overwhelming sometimes, we'd rather have more than less. We miss having more panels regarding specific shows, live podcasts, and more.
Although this is not the first time the event has taken place at more than one venue, the two venues were never as far apart, and it was particularly cold. Even though a shuttle was available, sometimes there just wasn't enough time to wait for a shuttle to get where you wanted to be by a specific time.
Unfortunately, numerous technical difficulties, mostly beyond the event organizers' control, added to the frustration. A sound issue delayed the opening performances as attendees stood (or sat) in the lobby waiting for quite a while. For the entire first day, the background music at the Palladium never seemed to be fully shut off, not only making the performers difficult to hear but also disrespecting them by partially drowning out their voices. Finally, and arguably most frustrating of all, for the first time since BroadwayCon 1 back in 2016, a major blizzard descended on the area during the last day of the festival, shortening it for many attendees and causing them to miss possibly the highlight of this year's entire event, the 25th anniversary reunion of original Rent cast members.
However, all this doesn't mean that this year's BroadwayCon was not at all fun or that it is not possible to still enjoy BroadwayCon in general. Having fewer panels does not mean there are no longer any good ones. This year's choices included a panel of performers who have appeared as Glinda in Wicked, one on unlocking affordable tickets, and more. There were also plenty of BroadwayCon favorites like Game Night, Star to Be, and more.
There are also always special events and occurances that you can't get anywhere else. They include the opportunity to hear original cast members sing songs from long-closed shows. This year, these included Kerry Butler singing a song from Catch Me If You Can, Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson singing songs from In the Heights, and cast members from Avenue Q singing a song from that show. There are also always special events specific to that year's event, which this year included an AANHPI Concert of Joy and the opportunity to see some of the costumes from TDF's theater concert collection up close. Thus, despite any differences or difficulties, there are always amazing things that you can only see, do, or experience at BroadwayCon that continue to make it a must-see event.
And that's our view. For more about BroadwayCon or to sign up to be one of the first to find out about next year's event, go to www.broadwaycon.com.
Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.
All pictures used in this post are our own. Address any concerns regarding image usage here.
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