AD correspondent
Gurugram, March 14, 2026: Gurugram Comic Con, presented by Maruti Suzuki Arena and powered by Crunchyroll, opened at Gym Khana Club Ground, marking the city’s first-ever edition of the pop-culture festival. Scheduled across 14th and 15th of March, the opening day welcomed fans who stepped into a celebration of comics, gaming, anime, and pop culture that felt right at home in India’s Millennium City.
As the gates opened, fans streamed into the venue as the festival kicked off for its inaugural Gurugram edition. Throughout the day, attendees explored bustling artist alleys, collectible stalls, and graphic novel displays, while mapping out their schedules across stage sessions, engaging activations, and live entertainment.
Much like the city outside the venue, where glass towers, global companies, and fast-moving startups define the skyline, the energy inside Gurugram Comic Con carried a similar pace. Audiences moved between sessions, gaming zones, and fan meet-ups with the same enthusiasm that drives the city’s thriving tech culture.
The main stage featured a series of sessions across the afternoon. Maruti Suzuki Arena, Crunchyroll, and Radio Mirchi hosted multiple showcases, bringing fans closer to the worlds of anime, storytelling, and fandom culture through engaging conversations and presentations.
A key highlight of the day was Creators Across Borders, featuring internationally acclaimed comic artist Raymund Bermudez, known for his work with major publishers including DC Comics, Dynamite, and IDW. Bermudez shared insights into global comic creation, visual storytelling, and working across international publishing ecosystems, offering fans a rare opportunity to hear directly from a creator whose work spans some of the world’s most recognizable comic universes.
Live performances brought the stage alive as the evening progressed. Comic Con Variety Vault featured Rohan Magic, whose mix of illusions, humour, and audience participation kept crowds captivated. The energy continued with Comic Con Jukebox, where Geek Fruit delivered their signature blend of pop-culture commentary and fandom celebration, followed by a powerful live performance from singer Gini. The day’s stage programming closed with the Comic Con Comedy Showcase, where stand-up comedian Jaspreet Singh had the audience laughing with his sharp observations and relatable humour.
Across the venue, experiential zones by Maruti Suzuki Arena and Crunchyroll saw steady participation throughout the day. The NODWIN Gaming Zone attracted gamers eager to test their skills, reflecting the strong overlap between gaming and pop culture communities that has taken root across Gurugram’s young professional crowd.
Speaking on the opening day of the inaugural edition of Gurugram Comic Con, Shefali Johnson, CEO, Comic Con India, said, “Gurugram is a city known for its glass towers, corporate parks, and a young community that works across global companies and startups. That same crowd also forms a huge part of India’s gaming, anime, and pop culture fandom. For us at Comic Con India, it’s especially meaningful to bring the festival here since a large part of our team operates out of Gurugram. Today we saw fans step out of their usual weekend routines at the city’s malls and offices and come together to celebrate comics, cosplay, and gaming. Seeing superheroes, anime characters, and gaming icons like Cypher from VALORANT, Monkey D Luffy from One Piece, Chainsaw Man, and Harley Quinn walking around the Millennium City made for a fantastic first day, and the response from the Gurugram community has been incredible.”
One of the biggest crowd-pullers of the evening was the Gurugram Comic Con Cosplay Contest. Cosplayers took to the stage dressed as beloved characters from anime, comics, films, and gaming franchises. Contestants competed for a daily cash prize of ₹30,000, with the cosplay arena drawing one of the largest audiences of the day.
With strong attendance, packed stage programming, and enthusiastic fan participation, Day 1 of Gurugram Comic Con established a confident beginning for the festival’s debut in the Millennium City. The celebration continues tomorrow with additional creator sessions, live performances, and the Sunday cosplay showcase.
