Trade war supercharges Montreal Comiccon attendance, spokesperson says

Robert Tremblay dressed as Darth Sidious, an alias for Star Wars villain Emperor Palpatine, as he attends Comiccon, in Montreal, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press)

A spokesperson for the Montreal Comiccon says the trade war with the United States could supercharge attendance at the colourful pop culture gathering.

A large crowd of people, some dressed as superheroes and TV and movie characters, were already filtering into Montreal’s convention centre shortly after doors opened Saturday.

The crowd was thickest in the autograph zone, where Star Wars fans lined up for a chance to meet Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid, who plays Emperor Palpatine in the films.

Comiccon spokesperson Jason Rockman believes the three-day fan convention will surpass its estimate of 65,000 attendees.

He says the presence of Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Andy Serkis are a big part of the draw, but he also believes many people are avoiding going to the United States due to the trade war.

“I think people don’t really want to travel (to the United States) now, so there are a lot of people staying here and it helps us,” he explained.

He also feels like a weaker Canadian dollar means the event is more attractive for American tourists.

“We just opened our doors for regular tickets and it’s busy (everywhere),” Rockman said. He suggested that Friday’s attendance may have broken a participation record.

One guest, dressed as the wizard Gandalf from the Lord of Rings, said he was there to see the headliners. Elsewhere, a group of friends who came dressed as characters in the Canadian animated TV series “ReBoot” said they were there for the ambience and to meet like-minded fans.

In addition to McDiarmid and the Lord of the Rings actors, the headliners include 94-year-old William Shatner of Star Trek fame as well as Famke Janssen of the X-Men franchise.

Rockman said it can be a challenge to attract headliners, because there are other events happening the same weekend. “But the fact that it’s in Montreal, during the summer, there are a lot of people who want to be here,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025.

Audrey Sanikopoulos, The Canadian Press