Egycon
{{Short description|Speculative fiction convention in Cairo, Egypt}}
{{Primary sources|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox Convention
| name = Egycon
| image = EGYcon 2015.jpg
| caption = Cosplayers gathered in The GrEEK Campus for Egycon 2015.
| status = Active
| genre = Multigenre
| venue = {{collapsible list
| framestyle=border:none; padding:0;
| title = Various
|El Sawy Culture Wheel (2014)
|The GrEEK Campus (2015 - 2020)
|El-Shams Sporting Club (2017)
|Family Park (2021 - current)
|Club 7, Maadi (2024)}}
| location = Cairo
| country = Egypt
| first = 2014
| last = EGYCON 12:
February 21st, 2025
| organizer = Egycon
| filing =
| attendance = 1,650 (2014){{Citation needed|date=June 2025|reason=these numbers have been on this page since its inception, but once again ive found absolutely zero proof of them}}
2,300 (2015){{Citation needed|date=June 2025|reason=refer back to the first citation needed in this list}}
3,200 (2016){{Citation needed|date=June 2025|reason=refer back to the first citation needed in this list}}
| website =
}}
Egycon ({{langx|ar|ايجيكون}}) (stylized as EGYCON or EGYcon) is a speculative fiction convention held annually in Cairo, Egypt. Starting in 2013 with a series of mini meet-ups,{{Citation needed|date=October 2024|reason=this has been a claim on this page since its creation, but i've yet to find any proof of its legitimacy}} the first large scale Egycon happened in 2014. Though starting as an anime-only convention, Egycon's scope quickly expanded to encompass several genres of media. Egycon has had articles written about it in Daily News Egypt,{{Cite web |last=Changpertitum |first=Kenneth |date=2015-02-11 |title=Cairo hosts second annual Japanese animé convention |url=https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/02/11/cairo-hosts-second-annual-japanese-anime-convention/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=Dailynewsegypt |language=en-US}} Cairo Scene,{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-02-15 |title=EgyCon: Where Egypt's Geeks Roam Free |url=https://cairoscene.com/geek/egycon-where-egypt-s-geeks-roam-free |website=CairoScene}} Arab News,{{Cite web |date=2020-02-02 |title=Looking back at EgyCon, Egypt’s comic convention |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1621781/looking-back-egycon-egypt%E2%80%99s-comic-convention |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Arab News |language=en}} ComicsGate{{Cite web |date=2015-03-05 |title=مؤتمر الأنيمي و الألعاب في مصر…إيجيكون! |url=https://www.comicsgate.net/home/2015/03/05/egycon2/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=ComicsGate |language=ar}} and IGN.{{Cite web |last=Abbas |first=Amin |date=2014-02-07 |title=الإعلان عن حدث Egycon |url=https://me.ign.com/ar/news/76621/lln-n-hdth-egycon |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=IGN الشرق الأوسط |language=ar}} Every year, The Japan Foundation participates in the event.
History
The first Egycon in 2014 was held at El Sawy Culture Wheel.[https://www.facebook.com/events/492619554164811/ "Egycon 1 event page"], www.facebook.com, February 8, 2014. Despite a lack of advertisement and there only being a Facebook event listing, the official attendance reported was 1,650.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024|reason=the articles claimed this since it's inception, but i can't find any proof for these numbers. same goes for the attendance numbers in the infobox}} This was the only Egycon held at El Sawy Culture Wheel.
In 2015, Egycon moved to The GrEEK Campus,{{Cite web |title=Egycon 2 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1652652904961690/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.facebook.com}} where it would stay until 2020, with the exception of Egycon 4 (2017), which was held at El Shams Sporting Club, Heliopolis.{{Cite web |title=Egycon 4 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/233111160444260 |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.facebook.com}} In 2021, Egycon changed venues to Family Park, New Cairo,{{Cite web |title=Egycon 8 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/190319913084685 |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.facebook.com}} where its currently still held, with the exception of Egycon 11 (2024), which was held in Club 7, Maadi.{{Cite web |title=Egycon 11 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/2722169051281416 |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.facebook.com}}
Events
Although Egycon only happens once a year, there are other events under the Egycon moniker which occur within the same year as the official event.
= Cairo Cosplay Party =
The Cairo Cosplay Party is an event hosted by Egycon, occurring irregularly. Starting in 2015 as the Summer Cosplay Party,{{Cite web |title=Summer Cosplay Party 2015 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1600315970225963/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.facebook.com}} it would happen annually from 2015 to 2019,{{Cite web |title=Summer Cosplay Party 2019 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/476536913156261/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.facebook.com}} before going on hiatus between 2020 and 2021. It then returned for 2022 and 2023.{{Cite web |title=Cairo Cosplay Party 2023 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/588749579888033/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.facebook.com}} What sets apart Egycon and the Cairo Cosplay Party is the cosplay contest,{{Cite web |title=Cosplay Contest 2023 advertisement |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/gTYtqeFjz4CQpHrY/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.facebook.com}} where people perform acts of their choosing in cosplay for a cash prize. This cash prize can go as high as 20,000 EGP.{{Cite web |title=Cosplay Contest 2022 advertisement |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/gTYtqeFjz4CQpHrY/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.facebook.com}} The Cairo Cosplay Party has been held in the GrEEK Campus and in Family Park.
= Other events =
On April 21, 2016, Egycon held a "57357 Cosplay Day" for funding cancer treatment in partnership with the Children's Cancer Hospital Foundation.{{Cite web |title=57357 Cosplay Day event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/591345984355746/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.facebook.com}} Egycon has also held two Halloween events{{Cite web |title=Halloween mini party event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/359523877717817/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.facebook.com}}{{Cite web |title=Egycon Halloween Fiesta event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1008611100948323 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.facebook.com}} and several Esports events.{{Cite web |title=ESports Summit event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/147949112584465/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.facebook.com}}{{Cite web |title=Egycon Arena 2019 event page |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/2369387773389196/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.facebook.com}}