High Score Con: free pop culture festival coming to Dubai's Times Square Centre

The event will run over three days and feature more than 50 local artists and creators from the region

Spanning eSports, video gaming, cosplay, live music and board game tournaments, High Score Con at Times Square Centre has something for everyone

High Score Con, a free-to-attend pop culture gathering, is returning to Dubai’s Times Square Centre. The event will be held from October 14 to 16 and include more than 50 local artists and creators from the region.

Spanning eSports, video gaming, cosplay, industry panel talks, live music and board game tournaments, High Score Con has something for everyone.

The event will also celebrate the Emirates by embracing the UAE’s pop culture community while also emphasising local talent.

Guest speakers at the panel talks include Emirati children’s author Qais Sedki, who is also the owner of one-stop hobby shop Otaku ME; Rashid Al Farooq, owner of Speedy Comics; and Nancy Ozbek, the general manager of Times Square Centre.

Other notable guests include Somaya Soeryadiredja and Arafaat Ali Khan, the founders of Middle East Film and Comic Con; Abdulla Allouz, Emirati entrepreneur and founder of Uprizing Events; and Mohamed Al Qadi, Emirati board game designer and creator of Conqueror: Final Conquest.

There will also be a special exhibition from Speedy Comics Vault Museum which will unveil a selection of ultra-rare, valuable comic books that will be on display throughout the event.

Some of the comic issues were published close to a century ago or feature first appearances of famous characters. There will also be signed memorabilia from actors and creators.

One of the comics to be shown includes a fourth issue of the classic Avengers series from 1964, signed by Chris Evans, who played Captain America in the Marvel films. It is valued at Dh50,000 ($13,614).

There will also be a Star Wars comic book signed by Carrie Fisher and David Prowse, who played Princess Leia and Darth Vader, respectively, in the film series, as well a German edition comic that features the first appearance of Iron Man and that was signed by Stan Lee.

High Score Con is open to visitors of all ages and entry is free, but booking for tickets is required.

More information is available at timessquarecenter.ae