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My Little Pony fan convention
Formal gathering of fans of My Little Pony From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A My Little Pony fan convention (also called a brony convention, brony con, or pony con) is a fan convention organized for the fandom of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, whose adult fans are commonly referred to as bronies. These conventions bring together fans of the show to participate in various activities including panels, workshops, vendor halls, cosplay, and meeting voice actors, writers, and other people involved in the production of the show. The first significant brony convention, BronyCon, was held in New York City in 2011 and initially attracted 100 attendees, but grew dramatically in subsequent years, reaching over 10,000 attendees in 2015.
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These conventions typically span a weekend and feature specialized events such as music festivals, charity auctions, and interactive activities with show creators. While the fandom is predominantly male, conventions have attracted diverse audiences, with BronyCon recording 34% female attendance in 2014.
As of 2025[update], despite the original television series ending in 2019, active conventions continue worldwide in various locations—including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and China—with many of them maintaining strong charitable components and raising tens of thousands of dollars for various causes. With the closure of BronyCon in 2019, Everfree Northwest is the largest brony convention in the world.
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History
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2011–2019: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic era
As the fandom grew between 2011 and 2012, nearly a dozen brony conventions were planned across the United States and internationally.[1] Many of these conventions featured appearances by voice actors, writers, and other creative staff involved with the show who interacted directly with fans at panels, autograph sessions, and other convention activities.[2][3]
BronyCon was the largest brony convention, held annually from 2011 to 2019.[3] Initially established as a small gathering in New York City with approximately 100 attendees, BronyCon grew rapidly, eventually reaching a peak attendance of over 10,000 fans at its height.[4] The convention was originally styled as "BroNYCon," referencing its New York City origins, but later dropped the "NYC" capitalization when it moved to venues outside the city.[5] In 2012, the third BronyCon attracted 800 attendees, and the fourth in 2013 expanded to a two-day event at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey in June 2012, drawing more than 4,000 attendees. In 2013, the convention permanently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and established itself as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under Lunar Solis Corp.[6] Despite the brony fandom consisting predominantly of male fans (approximately 85% based on a 2013 unofficial survey), BronyCon attracted a more balanced demographic, with 34% female attendance at the 2014 convention. The event maintained a family-friendly atmosphere, with children under 14 comprising about 10% of attendees.[7] In later years, BronyCon moved to the larger Baltimore Convention Center, with attendance exceeding 8,000.[8] In 2015, BronyCon reached its peak attendance of over 10,000 guests, becoming the first brony convention to do so.[4] The final BronyCon, held in 2019, also attracted over 10,000 attendees.[9]
Other brony conventions founded during this period included Everfree Northwest in Seattle, Washington,[10] Midwestria in Chicago, Illinois,[11] Canterlot Gardens in Cleveland, Ohio,[12][13][14] Equestria LA in Los Angeles,[15] BABSCon in Burlingame, California,[16] Ponycon NY in the metropolitan New York City region,[17][18] BronyCAN in British Columbia, Canada,[19] GalaCon in Ludwigsburg, Germany,[20] BUCK in Manchester, United Kingdom,[21] PonyCon AU in Sydney, Australia,[22] Crystal Mountain Pony Con in Salt Lake City, Utah[23] and Pacific PonyCon in San Diego, California.[24] In addition, My Little Pony conventions established prior to the airing of Friendship Is Magic, such as the My Little Pony Fair and UK PonyCon, saw increases in their numbers due to the brony fandom.[1][25][26][27] A long-running annual art show, the "My Little Pony Project", where artists re-imagine My Little Pony figurines and toys into works of art, also saw additional attendance and contributions from the brony community.[28][29]
2020–2021: COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the brony convention scene, as organizers were forced to cancel, postpone, or transition events to virtual formats. Virtually all brony conventions were unable to hold in-person gatherings due to health restrictions, venue closures, and COVID-19 lockdowns.[30][31][32][33] During this period, some conventions experimented with online alternatives. Vanhoover Pony Expo conducted its January 2022 event virtually using a Pony Town server that featured digitally recreated Vancouver landmarks.[34] Other conventions organized online panels, virtual vendor halls, and livestreamed performances.
2021–present: Post-COVID era
As pandemic restrictions eased, brony conventions began returning to in-person formats. UK PonyCon 2021,[32] Everfree Northwest 2021,[35] Ponyville Ciderfest 2021,[36] and TrotCon 2022[33] were held in-person.
In February 2022, Corgi Events LLC—the parent organization of Ponyville Ciderfest and Whinny City Pony Con as well as five furry conventions—collapsed amid financial troubles including an exorbitant tax warrant against its founder, unpaid staff compensation, and management issues. Tech Charlie, the convention chair of Ciderfest and Whinny City, initially stepped down due to the organizational turmoil. Michelle, Charlie's wife, purchased both conventions from the dissolving company and reinstated Charlie as chair of both events.[37][38] In 2023, Ponyville Ciderfest raised $111,186.90 for charity.[39]
In February 2024, the Mi Amore Fest in Moscow, Russia was closed early by organizers after Russian police investigated complaints that the convention promoted LGBTQ+ content. Police conducted two inspections but found no evidence of illegal activity.[40] The incident occurred amid Russia's restrictions on LGBTQ rights in Russia, following the Russian Supreme Court's 2023 designation of the international LGBTQ movement as an extremist organization.[41]
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Schedule and programming
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Typically spanning a weekend, pony conventions schedule activities from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.[42] Peak attendance tends to occur on Saturday. Some conventions offer discounted single-day admission options.[43]
Conventions frequently feature presentations, panels, workshops, lectures, Q&As, karaoke, and autograph signings as part of their schedule.[42] Information about a specific con can be found on their website or in their con book (or conbook), an informational pamphlet or booklet typically distributed at the convention. Con books also include maps of the venue, vendor listings, and information about the guests of honor. They also often include codes of conduct, welcome letters from organizers, staff listings, and sponsor acknowledgements. If a charity is being supported by the convention, it is often listed there.[42][44]
Music and concerts
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The brony music scene is considered unique in its enormous volume, spanning numerous genres including electronic dance music, rock, classical arrangements, and specialized fusion genres.[45] Fan-created music is a major part of My Little Pony fan conventions, with dedicated performance spaces and events that showcase the fandom's musical talent. Conventions often feature specialized music festivals with unique branding: for example, BronyCon hosted "BronyPalooza,"[46] while Everfree Northwest continues to present "Ponystock".[47] Musicians from the fandom have organized charitable initiatives, such as the 2011 Smile album compilation which raised $21,000 for the Children's Cancer Association.[47]
The crossover between the show's production team and fan musicians has occasionally been acknowledged by series staff. Show director Jayson Thiessen has remarked on the professional quality of fan productions,[48] while composer Daniel Ingram has highlighted fan-created music through his online platforms.[47]
Charity auctions
Brony conventions tend to be non-profit organizations with a heavy focus on charity.[49] Brony conventions have raised tens of thousands of dollars towards various charitable causes. In 2012, Everfree Northwest's charity auction raised $13,535 for the Seattle Children's Hospital. In 2015, BronyCon's charity auction raised $30,645 for CureSearch for Children's Cancer.[49]
Charity auctions at brony conventions are viewed as competitive spectacles where bronies bid on rare merchandise like signed prints from voice actors, worn lanyards, and unique convention posters, with value determined by the money participants are willing to spend for exclusive ownership. According to Theo A. Peck-Suzuki writing in the journal Transformative Works and Cultures, these auctions function as "tournaments of value" that allow winners to distinguish themselves within the brony community and affirm their belonging.[50]
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List of conventions
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Reported attendance numbers at brony conventions from 2011 to 2023. Missing data points indicate no reported attendance figures or canceled events. The 2020-2021 period saw many cancellations due to COVID-19.
Active events
Discontinued events
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See also
References
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