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The vendor hall of BronyCon 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
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Fan conventions

A My Little Pony fan convention (also called a brony convention, or 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.

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, 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.

History

[edit]
BronyCon 2012 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center

The first BronyCon was held in New York City in 2011, attracting approximately 100 people. The event grew quickly, with the third convention held in January 2012 attracting 800 attendees, and the fourth expanding to a two-day event at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey in June 2012, drawing more than 4,000 attendees. Special guests at this expanded event included series developer Lauren Faust and voice actors John de Lancie, Tara Strong, Andrea Libman, Peter New, Lee Tockar, Amy Keating Rogers, Cathy Weseluck, and Meghan McCarthy.[1]

As the fandom grew between 2011 and 2012, nearly a dozen brony conventions were planned across the United States and internationally.[2] 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.[3][4]

BronyCon was the largest brony convention, held annually from 2011 to 2019.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] In 2013, the convention permanently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and established itself as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under Lunar Solis Corp.[7]

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.[8]

In later years, BronyCon moved to the larger Baltimore Convention Center, with attendance exceeding 8,000.[9] By 2015, BronyCon reached its peak attendance of over 10,000 guests, becoming the first brony convention to do so.[5] The final BronyCon, held in 2019, attracted over 10,000 attendees.[10]

Other brony conventions include Everfree Northwest in Seattle, Washington,[11] Midwestria in Chicago, Illinois,[12] Canterlot Gardens in Cleveland, Ohio,[13][14][15] Equestria LA in Los Angeles,[16] BABSCon in Burlingame, California,[17] Ponycon NY in the metropolitan New York City region,[18][19] BronyCAN in British Columbia, Canada,[20] GalaCon in Ludwigsburg, Germany,[21] BUCK in Manchester, United Kingdom,[22] PonyCon AU in Sydney, Australia,[23] Crystal Mountain Pony Con in Salt Lake City, Utah[24] and Pacific PonyCon in San Diego, California.[25] Nearly a dozen brony conventions were planned in 2012.[2] In addition, established My Little Pony conventions prior to the Friendship Is Magic show, such as the My Little Pony Fair and UK PonyCon, saw increases in their numbers due to the attendance of bronies.[2][26][27][28] 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.[29][30]

Activities

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Schedule and programming

[edit]
Fans of My Little Pony attending a workshop panel at BronyCon 2014.

Typically spanning a weekend, pony conventions schedule activities from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.[31] Peak attendance tends to occur on Saturday. Some conventions offer discounted single-day admission options.[32]

Conventions frequently feature presentations, panels, workshops, lectures, Q&As, karaoke, and autograph signings as part of their schedule.[31] 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.[31][33]

Music and concerts

[edit]
See also: Music of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom
BronyPalooza at the Baltimore Convention Center during BronyCon 2019.

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.[34] 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,"[35] while Everfree Northwest continues to present "Ponystock".[36] 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.[36]

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,[37] while composer Daniel Ingram has highlighted fan-created music through his online platforms.[36]

Charity auctions

[edit]

Brony conventions tend to be non-profit organizations with a heavy focus on charity.[38] 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.[38]

List of conventions

[edit]
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

[edit]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Next/Last held Name Place Theme
31 January–2 February 2025 HarmonyCon Dallas, Texas, United States Musical theater
31 January–2 February 2025 HarmonyCon`
Convention in Dallas, Texas themed around music, with a Coltchella concert event.[39] Notable for its "neat interactive website".[40]
17–19 January 2025 Vanhoover Pony Expo Vancouver, Canada ?
17–19 January 2025 Vanhoover Pony Expo`
Annual convention held in Vancouver, Canada since 2019.[41]
22–23 March 2025 Festival of Friendship Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom ?
22–23 March 2025 Festival of Friendship`
A smaller UK-based convention celebrating the My Little Pony fandom.[41]
5–6 April 2025 Ponies Online Discord (virtual), International ?
5–6 April 2025 Ponies Online`
Virtual convention held on Discord, allowing fans from around the world to participate regardless of location.[41]
3–4 May 2025 Griffish Isles Manchester, United Kingdom ?
3–4 May 2025 Griffish Isles`
UK-based convention held in Manchester, continuing the tradition of brony gatherings in the United Kingdom.[41]
31 May–1 June 2025 EponaFest Cremona, Italy ?
31 May–1 June 2025 EponaFest`
Italian My Little Pony convention held in Cremona, bringing the fandom to Southern Europe.[41]
6–8 June 2025 Everfree Encore Uslar, Germany ?
6–8 June 2025 Everfree Encore`
German convention inspired by the original Everfree Northwest event in the United States.[41]
19–20 July 2025 China Southern Brony Carnival Guangzhou, China ?
19–20 July 2025 China Southern Brony Carnival`
One of the major Chinese brony conventions, showcasing the growth of the fandom in Asia.[41]
25–27 July 2025 TrotCon Columbus, Ohio, United States ?
25–27 July 2025 TrotCon`
Founded in 2012 by members who had previously been involved in organizing anime conventions throughout Ohio, the first TrotCon was held at the Ohio State University's Union.[42]
22–24 August 2025 Everfree Northwest Bellevue, Washington, United States ?
22–24 August 2025 Everfree Northwest`
One of the longest-running and largest brony conventions in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.[41]
5–7 September 2025 Mare Fair Orlando, Florida, United States ?
5–7 September 2025 Mare Fair`
Florida-based convention celebrating the My Little Pony fandom in the southeastern United States.[41]
6–7 September 2025 Galacon Waiblingen, Germany ?
6–7 September 2025 Galacon`
One of Europe's largest brony conventions, held annually in Germany since 2012.[41][21]
19–21 September 2025 SeaquestriaFest Ocean City, Maryland, United States ?
19–21 September 2025 SeaquestriaFest`
Themed convention based on the underwater realm of Seaquestria from the My Little Pony franchise, appropriately located in a coastal city.[41]
25–26 October 2025 UK PonyCon Birmingham, United Kingdom ?
25–26 October 2025 UK PonyCon`
UK pony con that existed before 2010, but subsequently saw massive increases in attendance due to the brony fandom.[26][27][28]
25–26 October 2025 Ponycon Holland Zeist, Netherlands ?
25–26 October 2025 Ponycon Holland`
Dutch convention for My Little Pony fans, continuing the European tradition of brony gatherings.[41]
TBA Ponyville Ciderfest Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States ?
TBA Ponyville Ciderfest`
Founded in 2014 and organized by Worthwhile Events NFP, Ponyville Ciderfest is a pony con in Milwaukee that attracts fans of My Little Pony for a weekend of panels, music events, vendor halls, and charity fundraising that has collected over $261,000 throughout its span.[41]
TBA Whinny City Pony Con Chicago, Illinois, United States ?
TBA Whinny City Pony Con`
TBA Czequestria Prague, Czech Republic ?
TBA Czequestria`

Discontinued events

[edit]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Last held Name Place
1–4 August 2019 BronyCon Baltimore, Maryland, United States
1–4 August 2019 BronyCon`
Founded in 2011 in New York City, BronyCon began as a small gathering of approximately 100 people. The convention experienced rapid growth, moving to Secaucus, New Jersey in 2012 before permanently relocating to the Baltimore Convention Center in 2013. BronyCon was the largest My Little Pony fan convention in the world, reaching a peak attendance of 10,215 at its final event in 2019.[4][10]
14–16 September 2012 Midwestria Chicago, Illinois, United States
14–16 September 2012 Midwestria`
Brony convention held in St. Charles, Illinois.[43]
28–30 September 2012 Canterlot Gardens Cleveland, Ohio, United States
28–30 September 2012 Canterlot Gardens`
Voice actor Tara Strong attended in full Twilight Sparkle cosplay.[3]
17–19 November 2017 Equestria LA Los Angeles, California, United States
17–19 November 2017 Equestria LA`
Southern California's brony convention that catered to the My Little Pony fan community in the Los Angeles area.[44]
April 2014 BUCK Manchester, United Kingdom
April 2014 BUCK`
A major My Little Pony fan convention in the United Kingdom that attracted international attention, featured on National Geographic Australia's "Darren McMullen's Outsiders" program.[45]
18–20 April 2025 BABSCon Burlingame, California, United States
18–20 April 2025 BABSCon`
Founded in 2014 in California, BABSCon was the first pony con in the Bay Area and became the second-largest brony con in the world.[46][47] The final BABSCon took place in 2025.[48]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Convention History". BronyCon. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Hix, Lisa (2012-06-28). "My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies". Collectors Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  3. ^ a b Pantozzi, Jill (2012-10-01). "My Little Pony's Tara Strong Chooses Twilight Sparkle For Her First-Ever Cosplay". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c Wennemer, Rob (2012-06-29). "Pittsburgh guys profess love for My Little Pony". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  5. ^ a b @BronyCon (August 9, 2015). "In case you missed it at closing ceremonies, #BronyCon 2015's final total for attendance was 10,011! The first pony con to hit five digits!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Scotellaro, Shaun. "BronyCon 2013 Moves to Baltimore". Equestria Daily. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  7. ^ Scotellaro, Shaun. "Addition to Bronycon Venue Announcement". Equestria Daily. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  8. ^ Gregory, Jennifer Goforth (2014-08-08). "The Bros Who Love My Little Pony". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  9. ^ Drabinski, Kate (2013-08-07). "WHAT'S SO FUNNY 'BOUT PEACE, LOVE, AND BRONYCON?". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved 2013-08-07 – via University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
  10. ^ a b Reysen, Stephen; Plante, Courtney N.; Chadborn, Daniel (2022). "Perceived Permeability of Group Boundaries as a Mediator Between Belonging to Multiple Fandoms and Loneliness". Popular Culture Studies Journal. 10 (1): 315.
  11. ^ Connelly, Sherilyn (2012-08-22). "Beyond BronyCon: Inside the My Little Pony Convention, Everfree Northwest". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  12. ^ Hayes, Natalie (2012-09-14). "Dressage for the 'Pony' set". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  13. ^ "Andrew W.K. to Speak at 'My Little Pony' Convention". Rolling Stone. June 13, 2012. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  14. ^ Grow, Kory (June 13, 2012). "Andrew W.K. Is a Brony, and He's Speaking at a My Little Pony Convention". Spin. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  15. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (September 29, 2012). "Andrew W.K. Feels the Love at 'My Little Pony' Convention". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  16. ^ Ohanesian, Liz (2012-11-05). "Equestria L.A.: Southern California Gets Its Own Brony Convention, for My Little Pony Fans". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  17. ^ Stewart, Kris (2014-11-20). "My Little Brony: Friendship is magic". The Pioneer. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  18. ^ Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (2014-06-11). "My Little Pony fans flock to Big Apple Ponycon in Jersey City". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  19. ^ Wright, David; Louszko, Ashley; Effron, Lauren (2015-02-25). "'My Little Pony's' Mass Appeal: Young Girls, 'Bronies' Share Mutual Love for Cartoon". Nightline. ABC News. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  20. ^ "Bronies invade B.C. for 2nd BronyCAN My Little Pony convention". CBC. 2014-08-24. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  21. ^ a b Spoman, Sean (2013-08-05). "My Little Pony Fans Celebrate Friendship Is Magic at Germany's GalaCon". WTVY. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  22. ^ "Darren McMullen's Wild Side 1". Darren McMullen's Outsiders. April 1, 2014. National Geographic Australia.
  23. ^ Murphy, Damien (2013-04-05). "My Little Pony gains growing legion of fans from left field". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  24. ^ Roth, Max (2015-07-17). "My Little Pony convention welcomes 800 bronies to downtown SLC". Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  25. ^ Schroeder, Lauryn (10 January 2016). "My Little Pony fans invade San Diego". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  26. ^ a b Williams, Zoe (2012-10-05). "Men in tiaras join UK's biggest My Little Pony fans". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  27. ^ a b Constable, Burt (2015-06-23). "Constable: 'My Little Pony' convention corrals girls, collectors, Bronies". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  28. ^ a b O'Conner, Rod (2015-08-19). "Meet the Adult Men Who Worship My Little Pony". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  29. ^ Heyman, Marshall (2012-10-14). "An Evening of Horse Shoes and Pony Tales". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  30. ^ Zuckerman, Esther (2012-10-15). "What 'My Little Pony' Art Looks Like". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  31. ^ a b c BABSCon 2017 Conbook, pp. 12-22
  32. ^ "HarmonyCon 2025 - Register". HarmonyCon. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  33. ^ Everfree Northwest 2024 (PDF). 2024.
  34. ^ Edwards, Patrick; Chadborn, Daniel P.; Plante, Courtney N.; Reysen, Stephen; Redden, Marsha Howze (September 11, 2019). Meet the Bronies: The Psychology of the Adult My Little Pony Fandom. United States: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 49-50. ISBN 9781476663715.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  35. ^ Meehan, Sarah. "8 things you need to know about BronyCon, the 'My Little Pony' convention". Baltimore Business Journal.
  36. ^ a b c Orsini, Lauren Rae (2012-04-21). "For brony musicians, 'Friendship Is Magic' serves as muse". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  37. ^ Turner, James (2012-03-20). "Is TV paying too much attention to fans?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  38. ^ a b Connelly, S. (2017). Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. ISBN 9781476662091. LCCN 2016044897.
  39. ^ Scotellaro, Shaun (2024-12-25). "HarmonyCon 2025 General Press Release". Equestria Daily. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  40. ^ Scotellaro, Shaun (2024-07-23). "HarmonyCon 2025 Returns With Neat Interactive Website". Equestria Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Scotellaro, Shaun (2025-01-14). "My Little Pony / Brony Conventions - 2025 Listing". Equestria Daily. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  42. ^ "About". TrotCon. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  43. ^ Hayes, Natalie (2012-09-14). "Dressage for the 'Pony' set". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  44. ^ Ohanesian, Liz (2012-11-05). "Equestria L.A.: Southern California Gets Its Own Brony Convention, for My Little Pony Fans". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  45. ^ "Darren McMullen's Wild Side 1". Darren McMullen's Outsiders. April 1, 2014. National Geographic Australia.
  46. ^ Stewart, Kris (2014-11-20). "My Little Brony: Friendship is magic". The Pioneer. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  47. ^ "Halfway Through Omega: The Summoning @ BABSCon 2025 (with Mystery Skulls & More)". Diablo Magazine. 2025-04-13. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  48. ^ BABSCon 2025 (PDF). 2025.
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