Celebrating STAR WARS

There goes another one! Just a few hours ago Friday became the second day to completely sell out for Star Wars Celebration 2019. And it sounds like Thursday won't be far behind! Ticket Update: Adult Friday tickets are now SOLD OUT and less than 200 Thursday Bounty Hunter Preview tickets remain. Get your tickets now! https://t.co/foFuFORG4g #SWCC #StarWarsCelebration #StarWars pic.twitter.com/XIDrPBNU59 — StarWars Celebration (@SW_Celebration) 16 October 2018 You can bet those final tickets won't last long. They may not even last until the morning. Just look how fast the final 2% of Friday tickets sold ! Thursday has no panels so it's a great time to hit the show store, grab some exclusives, and see what the show floor has to offer. You should even be able to grab some autographs or photo ops without having to worry about your time slot clashing with that panel you just don't want to miss. So if you want to attend on Thursday make sure you get your ...

And now we return (finally) to Celebration preparation! Not the most exciting topic to return with but one that's essential for everyone travelling to Celebration from outside of the USA - Passports, ESTAs, and Visas. Passports The simple rule of thumb is that your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months after your visit to America. There are some countries that are exempt from this rule, where your passport only needs to be valid until your date of departure. The UK is one such country, but even then many travel agents will still advise you to have the 6 months. Better safe than sorry I guess. Check what the rules are for your country and make sure your passport is up to date and valid. ESTAs Entry to the USA normally requires a Visa but citizens/eligible nationals from 38 countries are eligible for an visa waiver under the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) system. If you are eligible to travel under an ESTA then PLEASE USE THE OFFICIAL ...

I know I already covered this when I did the summer updates post but it deserves it's own post (better late than never!) The first guests for Star Wars Celebration Chicago were announced last month as returning hosts Amy Ratcliffe and David Collins. David is a Celebration veteran, returning to host his eighth Star Wars Celebration where he will once again share his insights, passion and humour at the Galaxy Stage. And if you recognise his voice that's probably because you've heard him in one of his many, many Star Wars voice overs including The Force Awakens , Rogue One , The Last Jedi , and Solo ! Or, if you're a Celebration vet yourself, maybe you know him as Han Solo in the live audio dramas Smuggler's Gambit , Smuggler's Bounty and Smuggler's Revenge . Amy is returning for her third Celebration as the host of the Behind the Scenes stage. The author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy and the host of Lattes with Leia is a unique voice in po...

Today ReedPOP announced that adult tickets for Friday are almost sold out. Given that Friday is the first day of panels and the most likely day for the Episode IX panel and trailer debut, this is the big one. Take this as your final warning, if you want tickets for Friday then grab them now. Yes, you should have at least a few days to get them (based on the rate of sale between the 90% announcement on 24th August and today's announcement you should have about 13 days, assuming the same rate of sales) but why take the risk? This last 2% will go quick as anyone who was on the fence about going or waiting until later to buy tickets will now be buying them. This is the day you don't want to miss!

Sorry for the lack of posts over the summer. Life got busy and I didn't update this blog anywhere near as much as I had planned to. That ends now. Going forward I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this place is updated at least once a week with the latest Celebration news, preparation guides, hints and tips. So what did I miss? Friday tickets are now over 90% sold. Now, this is the first day of panels and it's widely expected that the opening panel will be the Episode IX panel with J.J. Abrams and the cast of the final installment of the Skywalker Saga. This is the big one. So if you want to be there and haven't got your tickets yet, make sure you grab them sooner rather than later. Since the crazily fast sellout of five day passes and Saturday tickets, things seem to have calmed down a little. Thursday passes, announced as 85% gone back in June , are still available and the Friday announcement was made at the end of August. So whilst I...

If you're heading to Celebration from the UK and you haven't booked your flights yet, make sure you check out United ASAP! I just got return flights (including baggage - important to watch for since this new "Basic Economy" has been added and most of the cheap flights no longer include a hold bag) direct from London Heathrow to Chicago O'Hara for less than £370!! I was planning on flying from Manchester but the savings (especially for a group of 4) far outweighed the extra cost of flying from London. No idea how long this rate will last for so make sure you check it out now! I know I've not done a Preparation post for a few weeks now (sorry, life got a little crazy) but I'll make sure I get back on those soon. May the Force be with you.

It's hard to believe that Celebration Europe was only 2 years ago! It feels like so much has happened since that incredible weekend. I'm blessed to have an amazing wife who shares my crazy passion for that galaxy far, far away, and today is our wedding anniversary. Two years ago, we celebrated our anniversary by taking part in that fantastic Celebration tradition - the over night queue! I couldn't resist the card, it was too perfect! We made new friends, share stories with our line buddies, and had an amazing first day at Celebration. So, yeah, I've not had time to write a full post today but I just wanted to share this. I have the best wife in the world, and we're both looking forward to being back at Celebration next year! May the Force be with you all.