UK PonyCon

Last updated
UK PonyCon
UK PonyCon logo.jpg
Official logo for UK PonyCon
StatusActive
Genre My Little Pony fan convention
Country United Kingdom
InauguratedNovember 2004
Most recent5–6 October 2024
Next event3–5 October 2025
Attendance1,300 in 2024
Filing status Company limited by guarantee
Website https://www.ukponycon.co.uk/

UK PonyCon is an annual My Little Pony convention held in various cities across the United Kingdom organized for fans of My Little Pony . Although the con was established in 2004 (before the beginning of the brony phenomenon in 2010) intended for collectors of the My Little Pony toylines, the con has since become one of the most popular brony conventions in the world, owing to the large boost in popularity from the brony fandom. In 2024, UK PonyCon had an attendance of 1,300, the largest it has had in its 20-year history.

Contents

Overview

UK PonyCon is the longest continuously running My Little Pony fan convention in the world, held annually in various cities across the United Kingdom since 2004. [1] The convention brings together fans of all ages including collectors of the toy line and enthusiasts of the animated series, particularly My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic . [2] The event has grown substantially from its early years, with attendance increasing from approximately 150-200 attendees in its first few iterations to 1,300 visitors by 2024. [3]

The convention features various activities including vendor stalls selling collectibles and merchandise, discussion panels, cosplay opportunities, and themed events that change yearly. [4] For instance, the 2019 convention at Nottingham Trent University featured an "Ocean Adventure" theme with attendees dressed as nautical ponies, pirates, and cruise liners. The event typically includes 40-50 themed stalls offering everything from vintage collectibles to artwork and crafts. [1] Hasbro representatives were present at the 2012 UK PonyCon, and brought a limited-edition Friendship Is Magic Blind Bag pony. [5]

UK PonyCon attracts an international audience, with visitors traveling from countries such as Germany, France, and the Czech Republic. [4] [1] The convention predates the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom; the demographic of attendees has evolved over time, with an increasing presence of bronies —adult male fans of the franchise—joining the traditional collector community. [4] The convention is recognized for its inclusive environment, with Sam Haines, chair of the 2019 event, noting that "It's important that niche communities have the opportunity to meet up." [4]

As with other My Little Pony fan conventions, charitable fundraising is a major part of UK PonyCon, with the event raising money for different organizations over the years. Since 2009, the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has been the primary beneficiary, with fundraising amounts growing from £700 in 2009 to £20,000 in 2024; [3] over £100,000 has been raised in total for the RDA. [6] The convention has moved between multiple cities including Morecambe, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Sheffield, Brighton, Nottingham, Cardiff, and Leeds. [3]

Ewan Kirkland, a professor of screen studies at the University of Brighton, has been a regular speaker at UK PonyCon since 2013. [7]

Locations, attendances, and charity efforts by year

YearDatesLocationVenueAttendanceCharityAmount raised
2004 [3] November 27MorecambeThe PlatformHAPPA£100
2005November 10–12ManchesterSacha's Hotel300Starlight Childrens Foundation£250
2006October 27–28BirminghamBritannia HotelRedwings Horse Sanctuary£1,000
2007October 26–27BristolRedwood Hotel and Country Club150The Rainbow Centre£5,000
2008October 10–11Uxbridge, LondonThe Barn, Brunel University200Wellchild£5,059.91
2009October 23–24SheffieldMegacentre200 Riding for the Disabled Association £700
2010October 22–23BirminghamThe Public, West Bromwich150£1,300
2011October 21–22BrightonBrighton Racecourse200£750
2012October 5–6NottinghamJury's Hotel Long Eaton£1,500
2013September 7–8CardiffMercure Holland House Hotel and Spa350£2,000
2014October 11–12LeicesterMercure Leicester The Grand Hotel500£2,500
2015October 10–11700£2,500
2016October 22–23LeedsThe Royal Armouries750£3,000
2017October 21–22BristolUWE Bristol Exhibition and Conference Centre800£6,000
2018October 13–14NottinghamNottingham Conference Centre1,000£6,750
2019October 12–13Nottingham City Campus of NTU950£11,000
2020Online only due to the COVID-19 pandemic £3,424.47
2021October 9–10NottinghamNottingham City Campus of NTU500 Riding for the Disabled Association £10,095
2022October 8–9850£11,000
2023September 30–October 11,000£12,124
2024October 5–61,300£20,000
2025October 3–5BirminghamBirmingham Conference and Events Centre

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Zagnat, Olimpia (2019-10-13). "Thousands of 'My Little Pony' fans from across the world meet in Nottingham for 16th UK PonyCon". Nottingham Post . Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  2. ↑ Williams, Zoe (2012-10-05). "Men in tiaras join UK's biggest My Little Pony fans". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "History of UK PonyCon". UK PonyCon. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "My Little Pony: Hundreds visit annual convention". BBC News . 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  5. ↑ Hix, Lisa (2012-06-28). "My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies". Collectors Weekly . Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  6. ↑ Kirkland, Ewan (2025). "Case study 3: Bronies". In Threadgold, Steven; Muggleton, David (eds.). Subculture in the 21st Century. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003637837-18.
  7. ↑ Kirkland, Ewan (2017). ""Little girls and the things that they love": My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Audience, Identity, and the Privilege of Contemporary Fan Culture" (PDF). Camera Obscura. 32 (2). Duke University Press: 114. doi:10.1215/02705346-3924661.
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