Convention - SDCC 2026 : Nickelodeon Powers Up Comic-Con with Interactive Experiences, Exclusive Collectibles and Slime-Filled Fun

By Mulder, 10 july 2026

Nickelodeon is significantly expanding its San Diego Comic-Con footprint this year by transforming both the convention center and downtown San Diego into interconnected celebrations of its best-known franchises. Rather than relying solely on a traditional exhibition booth, the network is introducing the FUN-ERGY FACTORY, an approximately 1,800-square-foot interactive experience at Booth #4113 inside the San Diego Convention Center, while simultaneously launching "Fun Flows Here," a free outdoor activation at The New Children's Museum Park. Together, the two experiences illustrate how Comic-Con has continued evolving beyond comics and television into a citywide entertainment festival where immersive activations are increasingly as important as studio panels. Nickelodeon's latest initiative embraces that trend by focusing less on passive displays and more on participation, inviting visitors to physically become part of the experience through games, challenges, slime-filled moments and social-media-ready installations.

Inside the convention center, visitors will literally be responsible for generating the event's "fun-ergy." The concept revolves around collaborative interactive challenges that gradually build toward the activation's centerpiece: a nearly 20-foot-tall Slime Surge, a playful homage to one of Nickelodeon's most recognizable traditions. The booth also features "Enter the Splat," an immersive environment designed to recreate the iconic visual identity associated with the network for decades, allowing attendees to step inside the famous splat motif while capturing exclusive photos and videos. Another highlight transports guests into the sewer headquarters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, offering one of several franchise-themed photo opportunities expected to become popular gathering points throughout Comic-Con. Daily giveaways, character appearances and special guests will further ensure that the booth changes from day to day, encouraging repeat visits during the four-day convention.

Collectors also receive considerable attention this year. Nickelodeon is offering convention merchandise that bridges several corners of pop culture, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x G.I. Joe collectible figures, a limited-edition BossLogic art print inspired by Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, and the vinyl release of Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 3: Fire (Music from the Animated Series). The carefully selected exclusives demonstrate Nickelodeon's continued strategy of appealing simultaneously to longtime collectors and younger audiences discovering these franchises for the first time. While the network has traditionally been associated with children's entertainment, many of its Comic-Con offerings deliberately target adults who grew up watching its programming during the 1990s and 2000s, reinforcing the increasingly multigenerational nature of the convention itself.

Perhaps the biggest evolution comes outside the convention center. For the first time, Nickelodeon is partnering with The New Children's Museum to create "Fun Flows Here," a free public destination located at 200 W. Island Avenue in downtown San Diego. Unlike the convention floor, which requires a Comic-Con badge, this activation is designed to welcome families, local residents and visitors alike. Throughout July 23–26, attendees can enjoy live stage entertainment hosted by Kids Imagine Nation, featuring performances, games and interactive segments inspired by PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Thundermans and Star Trek: Scouts. Large-scale photo installations celebrating SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Kids' Choice Awards extend Nickelodeon's colorful visual identity into an outdoor setting that emphasizes accessibility as much as spectacle.

No Nickelodeon activation would be complete without slime, and this year's outdoor experience embraces the network's most iconic tradition in a particularly ambitious fashion. Select visitors will have the opportunity to enter a dedicated slime booth and receive what Nickelodeon has long presented as its highest honor: getting completely slimed in the famous green goo. Alongside the slime experience, guests can create their own slime mixtures, participate in bubble-play activities, attend live animated character-drawing demonstrations, enjoy DJ performances, enter prize raffles and take part in Nickelodeon Our World empowerment activities designed specifically for children. These attractions reinforce the company's ongoing emphasis on creativity, participation and shared family experiences rather than passive entertainment.

One particularly noteworthy addition to this year's programming is the Friday evening family movie event. On July 25, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the outdoor venue will host a screening of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, extending the activation well beyond standard convention hours. Museum members will also benefit from an exclusive preview event on Thursday, July 23, before public activities begin. To accommodate the large-scale transformation of the venue, The New Children's Museum will temporarily close to regular visitors from July 21 through July 26, reopening on Monday, July 27.

An interesting aspect of Nickelodeon's 2026 Comic-Con strategy is how clearly it reflects broader changes across the convention landscape. Booths are no longer simply places to showcase products; instead, they increasingly function as immersive destinations capable of generating social-media engagement through experiential storytelling. The emphasis on collaborative challenges, physical participation and large-scale photo opportunities acknowledges that many attendees now seek memorable experiences alongside exclusive merchandise and announcements. By extending its programming beyond the convention center into downtown San Diego, Nickelodeon is also recognizing a growing reality of Comic-Con: some of the event's biggest attractions now exist outside the exhibition halls, allowing studios and networks to reach audiences who may not even possess convention badges. The result is one of Nickelodeon's most ambitious Comic-Con presentations to date, combining nostalgia, family entertainment and modern experiential marketing into a cohesive celebration of the network's enduring brands
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FUN-ERGY FACTORY – Public Experience
Where: Booth #4113, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California.
When: Throughout Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026, from Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Fun Flows Here – Public Activation
Where: The New Children's Museum Park, 200 W. Island Avenue, San Diego, California.
When: Throughout Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026, from Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Museum Members Preview
Where: The New Children's Museum Park, 200 W. Island Avenue, San Diego, California.
When: Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Family Movie Night – The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
Where: The New Children's Museum Park, 200 W. Island Avenue, San Diego, California.
When: Friday, July 24, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

(Source : press release)