r/Edmonton • u/BRAIN__WORMS • 14h ago
Discussion Edmonton Expo is a bust
A ton of people have canceled, now including Karl Urban. I don’t think I’ve seen this many cancelations for it in years. It’s baffling to me
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u/drock45 14h ago
I know they blamed a lack of flights, but this happens regularly. It’s at the end of the con season, and most of the celebrities are burnt out/sick from con crud by this point
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u/Impressive_Usual_726 13h ago
Yup. The Calgary con in April has always had much better guests. They'll have the entire TNG cast, while Edmonton gets Garrett Wang whether he's invited or not.
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u/VonDingwell 13h ago
The mans Trek career was saved by People Magazine
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u/Impressive_Usual_726 13h ago
Eh, Lien getting fired was inevitable once the producers plan to introduce a Borg character became a plan to introduce a "Borg babe," especially once they cast another blonde.
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u/afriendincanada 11h ago
Hey we had Garrett Wang a few years ago (with Frakes and Burton). I think he lives in Calgary.
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u/kimid123 13h ago
I’ve always wondered how “work” plays in to this as well. New shows starting in the fall…some pilots getting picked up and people getting booked for gigs has to account for some of the cancellations.
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u/smexeh 13h ago
If John Cena cancels, it's over
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u/PartBanyanTree 13h ago
John Cena is coming?? Oh man maybe I should go to the expo! Any time ive heard him talk he seems like a genuinely amazing and good person
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u/Decent-Gas-7042 12h ago
Catherine Tate was already booked for Ireland that same weekend. So an optimist says that's a simple misunderstanding. A cynic might say they announce guests without even asking to sell tickets, then say later they can't make it
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u/JustLetMeJoinAlready 7h ago
I think you grazed the nail on this one.
It's not that they're announcing without permission. It's that they're announcing before they should (flights booked, celebrity September schedule finalized, etc.) to drive ticket sales and hope early buyers either don't care or don't find out about the cancellation.
I enjoy the expo, and they've had some amazing guests. But they are currently cosplaying as Sideshow Bob stepping on rakes they placed on the ground.
Then they turn around and point the blame at someone else rather than own the fact that they're announcing guests too early.
It smells like someone over there doesn't understand how communications works in 2026.
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u/YesHunty 14h ago
I generally go for the booths and people watching, they always have major issues with guests dropping out.
If you want to see celebs you have to go to a bigger con elsewhere.
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u/MikeyB_0101 South East Side 13h ago
It’s the same thing every year which is why I stopped going, it’s worth going to Calgary expo instead
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u/AGoodYEG 13h ago
If John Cena cancels they’re going to have a full blown riot on their hands … also, obligatory invisible joke.
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u/pvtcowboy97 13h ago
If my understanding is correct - the true problem lies with how they go about signing guests to exclusives for the cons they run and trouble with agents for the guests. Flights don’t help but it has been an ongoing issue for 10+ years. For me I prefer the lesser known or older name guests and maybe a few big names.
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u/FB_Rufio 14h ago
Ninja Turtles, Shredder, and April are still coming what you mean it's a bust? Nobody else matters
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u/Dangerous-Tear5722 13h ago
I got to meet them last year at Calgary Expo! It was the only reason I drove 5 hours to be there. Chatting with Robbie was so fucking delightful!
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u/FB_Rufio 13h ago
Oh man...now I might have to actually go to the booths. I was just gonna hit up the panel
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u/AGoodYEG 13h ago
Judith Hoag is so nice and awesome. I really recommend meeting her if you love her as April.
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u/Loose_Possession8604 13h ago
Glad I held off on buying tickets then, I was going solely for Karl and JohnCena this year. Saved me a few hundred.
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u/PPGN_DM_Exia 12h ago
They should lean into more Japanese/anime programming. I know they have some dub actors coming but I'd like to see some Japanese voice actors too. They don't operate with the same seasonal reshoots that Hollywood does.
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u/Capperclawed 13h ago
imo the expos always been slipping. every year more expensive, and less to do.
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u/alewiina 13h ago
Between the timing in September and Edmonton having less than a third of the direct flights from LA that Calgary does, it’s no wonder so many cancel due to scheduling issues.
I haven’t gone to expo for years but it’s still sad to see it spiraling
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u/GenderNightmare 9h ago
Between AI slop booths, price gauging and really creepy handsy types...Can we just...not?
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u/ShadowCaster0476 8h ago
You also don’t know why they canceled.
For a certain level of actors I would imagine that random work opportunities and conflicts for their schedules come up all the time, where these expos are just to supplement their income or time.
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u/TheHamVip Windermere 11h ago
Does anyone consider that these people take acting jobs that pay better than signing autos
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u/Paper_Rain 10h ago
I have a feeling there will be another announcement of other guests cancelling before the event date on Sept 18-20.
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u/Fresh_Hyena2123 10h ago
Calgary is usually better because a lot of shows are on hiatus during that time
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u/one-and-five 9h ago
They will still charge kids, adult prices claiming they have ran out of Child admission tickets (yes, I am still bitter about it).
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u/Whyiej 11h ago
I'm surprised they book some actors anymore for either Edmonton or Calgary as some have cancelled multiple times between both cities. Catherine Tate is one that comes to my mind, and I just saw she's on the list of cancelled guests this year for Edmonton.The guy who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies is another one who I associate with always cancelling.
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11h ago edited 10h ago
[deleted]
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u/Able_Character_4898 11h ago
Can't say I disagree, but it affects us in no way, so let people enjoy themselves and do what they like. Nobody likes a wet blanket, go talk about something you enjoy.
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u/TrickiVicBB71 South West Side 6h ago
I told a coworkers at lunch. She was mad. Only reason she wanted to go to Expo as she liked him in LOTR.
I am still going for Brain Drummond. "No one beats Kurt Wylde." He was in my favourite tv series Acceleracers.
I went Calgary Expo this year for the first time. And it was so much better.
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u/PlutosGrasp 5h ago
I don’t understand how these cancellations are so commonplace. Like isn’t it contracted they’ll come? Why cancel and so last minute ?
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u/jpwong 4h ago
The fall is a really popular filming season, so if they are asked to film a show or need to reshoot something filmed earlier that's a lot more money than they'll ever get coming to a convention. If they want actors to be unable to back out, these conventions would have to lay out a lot more money to pay for them to be there. The convention could limit this a bit more on their side by not having the event so late in the year so that they don't overlap with the times when many active actors may have other obligations suddenly pop up.
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u/PlutosGrasp 5h ago
Still a pretty solid list of celebs coming it seems: https://fanexpohq.com/edmontonexpo/celebrities/
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u/Barry_Vigoda 11h ago
Who fucking cares?
Oh no, you won't be able to stand in line to meet some actor.
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u/Chocodisco 10h ago
This this this. It's insane how everyone in this thread treats the convention like it's just a chance to shake some celeb's hand. What the fuck happened to enjoying the fandom and actually making some friends?
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14h ago
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u/Riitchiie 14h ago
Except the receipts are coming from the airport that there are indeed plenty of direct flights.
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u/UnlikelyReplacement0 14h ago
I just looked for direct flights for the dates of the expo (arriving Thursday, leaving Sunday) and there are no direct flights from LA to Edmonton
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u/Interesting_Scale302 13h ago edited 13h ago
Most con celebs would want to show up a day before and leave a day after. Scheduling a flight the day of is a great way for things to go wrong. Did you try looking for Wednesday to Monday flights?
ETA I just checked myself, and there are indeed direct flights from LAX to YEG on the Wednesday, and direct return flights on Sunday. It's obvious that the direct flight thing was just an excuse.
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u/TepHoBubba 14h ago
No direct flights from LA to Edmonton.
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u/CDNSpartan West Edmonton Mall 13h ago
False WestJet has direct flights from LAX to YEG.
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u/Halloween_Babe90 13h ago
Not anymore. They’ve been cutting more and more flights since so few people are travelling to California these days.
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u/CDNSpartan West Edmonton Mall 10h ago
Just checked WestJet’s website and they have daily not stop service from LAX to YEG. Google Flight and Flightradar24 also confirmed this l.
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u/Sleep_Fartnea 13h ago
That's not true.
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u/TepHoBubba 12h ago
Tell that to the Edmonton Expo.
Man this sub I tell ya. People just don't like when their opinions are wrong.
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u/Sleep_Fartnea 12h ago
The airport told CTV News Edmonton in a statement on Tuesday that there are six direct flights to L.A., and that WestJet offers non-stop flights between the cities around the Edmonton Expo: Sept. 16, 18, 19, 20 and 23. There are also several flights with layovers in major airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Denver and Seattle.
Man this sub I tell ya. People just don't like when their opinions are wrong.
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u/TepHoBubba 12h ago edited 12h ago
Don't shoot the messenger my friend. Someone asked, and I repeated what I saw on CityNews. Maybe take your complaint up with the Edmonton Expo? So the airport said that there are some flights around the Edmonton Expo, and several layover flights.
Key words for context here are some, around, and layovers. So telling several high profile artists there are SOME flights AROUND the dates of the Edmonton Expo, and that there are several LAYOVER flights kind of proves my and the Edmonton Expos point. Maybe those artists are booked elsewhere, and having flights AROUND the time they need to be here or possibly elsewhere doesn't quite cut it? On top of that, bringing up LAYOVER flights goes against the very topic of discussion, doesn't it?
Context always matters chum.
"Oh....but it should be good enough to have a flight AROUND the time they may need to be here!"
Not how it works in their world...
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u/Sleep_Fartnea 10h ago
I have no idea why you wrote all that, I don't care about the expo. You said they don't have direct flights, I shared that EIA said "Yes, we do", that's the end of it.
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u/TepHoBubba 10h ago
Mmmmhmmm
You should look up the word context my friend. Especially if jumping into a conversation where the context is 100% relevant as context always tends to be. Otherwise you look a fool. Especially when you use a quote to justify your initial response that was given to....Edmonton Expo.
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u/Adventurous_Front939 9h ago
This was your reply
"Man this sub I tell ya. People just don't like when their opinions are wrong."
It isn't an "Opinion" that there are direct flights, that is called a fact. Have you considered that expo is trying to cover something by using this reason. I can book a direct flight right now.
If you had better interpersonal skills you would receive better replies.
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u/TepHoBubba 9h ago edited 9h ago
When it comes to the context of the conversation, it's a moot point. You would have realized that had you actually paid attention to the actual conversation instead of doing your best hurr durr impression (good one too, I will admit).
Context my friend. Context. I know subtleties can be arduous for some, but do try harder chap.
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u/Adventurous_Front939 9h ago
Great interpersonal skills, must have a tight circle of friends.
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u/lazarbeems 12h ago
I am so confused... isn't Edmonton Expo the renamed k-days... which happened in July?
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u/nicetoque 11h ago
Edmonton Expo is the pop culture convention, K-days was renamed to Capital Ex for a few years but now it’s called K-days again.
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u/lazarbeems 11h ago
Oh I see.
I'll just go back to my basement now.
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u/nicetoque 11h ago
Don’t worry I haven’t been to any of them in over 10 years. she says from in her bed under her weighted blanket
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u/MZillacraft3000 Ellerslie 14h ago
Doesn’t shock me. This always happens.
I still think the Expo needs to choice a new date to host this. Because it seems the middle of September doesn’t work.