SUPANOVA GOLD COAST 2026
A Day Out With The Boys
Friday 20th March 2026
Written by Tom Wilson
Photographed by: Rashid AlKamraikhi
The sun is beaming down on the Gold Coast, and as SENSE pulls up to cover our first SUPANOVA, we don’t need GPS to tell us we’re in the right place. The streets are filled with costumes.
We see anime characters handing out flowers and carrying giant props. Down the road, a Space Marine shuffles sideways out the entrance of a shop so his enormous shoulder pads don’t knock over displays. Someone walks past a policeman with a giant axe, and the policeman doesn’t say a word … because he’s from the Gotham City Police Department, and is also someone in costume. I find myself picturing the late Hunter S. Thompson stumbling onto this scene while in full Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas mode – A.K.A. out of his mind on drugs – and recoiling in horror and confusion at all the costumes.
Pictured: SPACE MARINE COSPLAY AND TOM WILSON
Pictured: SCORPION AND BLOOD ELF COSPLAY
We follow the various costumes to get to the Exhibition Centre, grab our passes and head inside, where we’re presented with a weapon checking station, where props are examined by staff to ensure they won’t actually hurt anyone. Someone in a vintage Australian Army uniform is doing ceremonial drill with a Lee Enfield laid back across his shoulder, marching up and down the lobby, and I am impressed by the conviction (even if I have to remind myself that cosplayers don’t have to abide by the Army Dress Manual, so I should avoid being a smartarse and critiquing his uniform).
Pictured: SUPERMAN AND DEADPOOL COSPLAY
Pictured: BATMAN COSPLAY AND TOM WILSON
We quickly realise the challenges of trying to shoot cosplayers in any kind of thoroughfare, as the crowds make getting a shot a massive hassle (and frankly we’d rather not be an annoyance!) We’ll be more prepared at the Brisbane event this November, and we can’t wait to see what people have been working on! We head into one of the main convention areas, and see merchants for fandoms I didn’t even know existed. It’s busy as hell, and we’re shoulder to shoulder, but the vibe is excellent. Far from a lazy Sunday, the mood is electric.
Pictured: THICC THIGHS PRIEST
Pictured: SUPANOVA WEAPON CHECK-IN
Supanova has outgrown the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre and has spilled over into the neighbouring Star Casino, where the artist Q&As are being held. We head into the theatre and sit down for our first session, with actor JAMES MARSTERS, most famous for playing Spike in Buffy. The atmosphere is great. There are no prolonged intros, just the talent alone onstage working with the MC who is walking through the crowd, taking questions. James is an absolute sweetheart, thanking people for their questions, being generous with his answers, getting a bunch of laughs and making everyone he speaks to feel special. What a legend.
Pictured: JAMES MARSTERS
Pictured: JAMES MARSTERS
We can’t confirm this, but after watching KARL URBAN’s Q&A, we could be convinced that he’s the coolest guy on the planet. With the final season of The Boys airing now, he greets every question with a Billy Butcher-style “’Allo”, though it’s a family-friendly environment with lots of kids in the audience, so unfortunately we miss out on being called “cunts”. Like James Marsters, Karl is a convention veteran, and with a resume featuring Lord of the Rings, Dredd and Thor: Ragnarok, he’s got his fair share of nerd cred, and speaks so fondly of his time as Judge Dredd (even if the uniform was uncomfortable). Someone in the crowd asks for his best “Oi, Hughie!” and without skipping a beat he holds out his hand with a smile and says, “Fifty bucks.” It gets a huge laugh, and he does the bit anyway. An absolute class act.
Pictures: KARL URBAN
Pictures: KARL URBAN
SENSE’s first ever convention was a roaring success, and we can’t wait to tackle both days of Supanova Brisbane in November. See you there!
Photos by: Rashid AlKamraikhi
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