The Official Site is Live! The Countdown Begins!


"These are the details you're looking for!"

 With those words the official Star Wars Celebration website went live just over 2 hours ago!

There's a lot of information to digest across the full site but let's start with the news that everyone was waiting for;

Tickets

 As already announced, tickets for Celebration Chicago will go on sale next Tuesday, 5th June, at noon CDT.

Adult 5-Day tickets will be $215.00 ($225.00 on the door) and Kids 5-Day will be $100.00 ($110.00 on the door).

Adult Single Day tickets for Friday to Monday will be $75.00 ($85.00 on the door) with Thursday Bounty Hunter Preview tickets being $55.00 ($65.00 on the door).

Kids Single Day tickets will be $35.00 ($45.00 on the door) for all 5 days.

Kids tickets cover younglings aged 6-12, with anyone aged 13 or above requiring an adult ticket for the event.

Prices do not included taxes and fees.

Jedi Masters

 The one that everyone wants! Described as the ultimate way to experience all that Star Wars Celebration has to offer. The Jedi Master VIP package will cost $850.00 and will include;

Exclusive Items
  • Jedi Master VIP Badge featuring exclusive art
  • Exclusive Jedi Master VIP lanyard
  • Exclusive signed art print created for Celebration Chicago Jedi Masters
  • Exclusive Jedi Master VIP Embroidered Patch
  • Limited Edition Jedi Master VIP Character Pin (only available to VIPS and in very limited amounts to staff for giveaways, this pin will not be for sale)
VIP Access
  • Half hour early access to the show floor
  • First access to all panels at the Celebration Stage (no reserved seating, must arrive 40 minutes prior to the panel)
  • Half hour early access to the Celebration Store each day
  • Exclusive Celebration Store private shopping experience on Thursday at 11am
  • VIP Express Checkout Lane in the Celebration Store
  • Unlimited use of the Lightspeed Lane to enter the Celebration Store
  • Express Autograph Hall autograph line pass and checkout for up to 6 autographs (price of autographs not included)
  • VIP Lounge with coat check and concierge
  • Private meet and greet with selected Celebration guest or guests (to be announced at a later date)
Additional Benefits
  • Official Show Poster (complete with poster tube)
  • Commemorative Program Guide
  • One time 10% discount at the Celebration Store

No number was given for how many Jedi Master badges will be available but expect them to sell out extremely quickly! If you want to be in with any sort of chance then make sure you're on the official website and ready to go the moment tickets go on sale.

Ok, so that's the big news, but there's still plenty more information to go through!

Show Times

The hours for the Star Wars Celebration exhibit hall have been announced as;

Thursday 11 April 1:00pm-8:00pm
Friday 12 April 10:00am-7:00pm
Saturday 13 April 10:00am-7:00pm
Sunday 14 April 10:00am-7:00pm
Monday 15 April 10:00am-5:00pm

And speaking of those Thursday hours...

Thursday Bounty Hunter Preview

Yes, Thursday is a preview day with NO PANELS. A limited number of fans (including Jedi Masters, 5-Day badge holders and a, presumably limited, number of Thursday Bounty Hunter badge holders) will have access to the show floor, autographs, photo ops and the Celebration Store from 1pm-8pm.

That's right, 13:00-20:00.

Interestingly enough, 20:00 is usually the official start time of the overnight queue...

This day should (in theory anyway) be a fantastic opportunity for those who don't manage to snag the elusive Jedi Master badges. With no panels it means you can focus on visiting the official Celebration Store, getting your autographs and photo ops covered or just seeing the show floor whilst it's (slightly) less crowded.

With no panels and a late start time on Thursday, it means there almost certainly won't be an overnight queue on Wednesday. BUT it will be interesting to see what time the queue starts forming on Thursday afternoon.

Location - Celebration Stage

The Celebration Stage is in the Wintrust Arena which is connected to McCormick Place. This arena can hold approximately 10,000 people (depending on configuration). This is more than the Anaheim main stage from 2015 and double (maybe even triple) the number for the live audience in Orlando last year.

In short, yes there will likely still be a massive overnight queue and people lining up early (maybe even missing Thursday entirely) but there will be a lot more seating available which should make it less essential to be in line before your first day of Celebration has even ended. Just make sure to keep yourself updated on social media.

Show Floor & Live Stage

Star Wars Celebration will be taking place in the West Building of McCormick Place which means that the main show floor will likely be in Hall F (you can view the floor plans here). The Live Stage (aka The Star Wars Show Live!) will most likely be located somewhere on the main show floor like at previous Celebrations and will be live Friday through to Monday.

Other Info

The official app will be updated for Celebration Chicago and available in early 2019.

If you are an artist head back to the official Celebration website on June 27th for details on how to submit your work to be part of the Celebration Art Show.

Crew applications open on 14th November.

Media applications open on 5th December.

Submissions are now open for Fan Panels, Entertainment, Displays and Other Programming, as well as the Podcast Stage, Fan Tables and Fan Built Props and Sets. More details on how to apply can be found in the official site's FAQ!



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