Vegas was just the beginning! We’ve been working hard getting ready for MagicCon: Philadelphia, and we have so much to share about this epic start to our 2023 event schedule! Welcome to the MagicCon: Philadelphia lineup.

We have a lot to cover in this news piece, so grab a hot drink, get cozy, and let’s dive in!

We heard your feedback from Magic 30 loud and clear! Here are some of the many improvements we are making for Philadelphia:

• On Demand Events -  MagicCon: Philadelphia will have more than double the play space than Magic 30. We have dramatically increased our capacity for on demand events (ODEs) which will run throughout the weekend. You can read about the variety of ODE offerings at MagicCon: Philadelphia here.
• CommandZone - The CommandZone will expand both in size and the opportunity to enter! Access to the CommandZone is included in Commander VIP and Black Lotus badges. Daily and Weekend access to this Commander Only area is available now to purchase as an add on!  
• Scheduling of Tournaments - Tournament durations have been added to the registration portal to make it easier for attendees to plan their day. We have streamlined the schedule to make sure events start on time and to reduce confusion.
• Team Event Registration - Players will only need one person to register for team events like Two Headed Giant, Team Trios or Emperor. This person will be the single point of contact for their team, and the only one who needs to log into the Companion App.
• Prize Wall - We will have multiple Prize Wall redemption locations available to improve wait times and reduce congestion.
• Grand Melee - People love Grand Melee and it is almost never seen other than at conventions! We updated the rules for Grand Melee to make the experience more fun for players (less spikey) and more efficient for Judges as well.

The Unknown Event:

We know you’re dying to know more details about the Unknown event, but if we told you, it wouldn’t be ‘Unknown’! Boosters, fun, chaos, and unique gameplay are at the heart of the Unknown experience! Enjoy the event that is never the same twice as Gavin Verhey leads everyone down a Magical path of extraordinary gameplay mixed with a variety of Magic card goodness. All proceeds from the Saturday night Unknown event go Black Girls CODE!

Secret Lair Showdown Cards – The Reveal!

We are SO excited to finally share these Secret Lair Showdown cards! These special promo cards—showcasing iconic hits from Magic’s competitive history—will be exclusively available to players through Secret Lair Showdown events hosted at MagicCons in 2023.

Register and play in one of four Secret Lair Showdown Qualifier events at MagicCon: Philadelphia, and you’ll receive a Fatal Push promo! 

The top 8 players of each qualifier will earn a spot in the Secret Lair Showdown Championship, which takes place on Sunday. The 32 players who compete in Secret Lair Showdown Championship events on Sunday in 2023 will each receive a Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer prize card! 

And finally, the winner of the Showdown Championship will receive a Brainstorm prize card! This Brainstorm will be one of four that can be won at a MagicCon events in 2023. 

The format for the Secret Lair Showdown Qualifiers and Championship at MagicCon: Philadelphia is Pioneer. Secret Lair Showdown Qualifiers have a capacity limit, so be sure to register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. These cards are not available for purchase on-site at the show.

The Pro Tour is back – and you can qualify for the next one at MagicCon!

MagicCon: Philadelphia is home to the first Pro Tour in 2023! If you’re interested in Premier level play, there will be two Pro Tour Qualifiers at MagicCon: Philadelphia. The format for these events will be Phyrexia: All Will Be One Sealed Deck with a Phyrexia: All Will Be One Booster Draft top 8. The top 4 in each PTQ will be awarded a Pro Tour invite and a badge to MagicCon: Minneapolis in May.

There are so many incredible Play offerings at MagicCon: Philadelphia, check out the full tournament lineup here.

MagicCon gives you the chance to step into your favorite game! Hang out in Professor Onyx's study, swing Garruk's axe, or relax at the bar in Elspeth's speakeasy. The Weatherlight awaits for that one-of-a-kind photo op!

It’s not enough to just walk the planes, you can meet your favorite characters too! Here's a taste of the amazing line up of featured cosplayers for Philadelphia!

• Taalia Vess as Elspeth
• Olivia Gobert-Hicks as Professor Onyx
• Tappy Toe Claws as Chandra
• Arlando Smith as Teferi
• Roman Pivec as Garruk

We have more Cosplayers joining us at the show and will announce them soon. Who are they? Who will they be? You’ll have to wait and see!

Someone must have cast ‘Wild Pair’ on The Art of Magic, because this space has doubled since Magic 30! We are making exciting changes to showcase Magic’s amazing artists as well as improving wait times and traffic flow.

Featured Artists:

We will bring several Featured Artists to each MagicCon event. These artists will have a booth in the Art of Magic and may participate in panels or additional events outside of this space too!

• John Avon
• Dakota Cates (Wizard of Barge)
• Justin & Alexis Hernandez
• Alayna Lemmer-Danner
• Chris Rallis
• Dominik Mayer
• Justine Jones
• Maxime Minard
• Campbell White
• Marta Nael

Exhibiting Artists:

In addition to the featured artists, there will be lots of exhibiting artists at MagicCon: Philadelphia! Come and meet some of the most talented artists who have contributed to our game, get cards signed or shop their merch!

• Ryan Pancoast
• Mark Poole
• Rk Post
• Jeff Laubenstein
• Eric Deschamps
• Aaron Miller
• Bryon Wackwitz
• Margaret Organ-Kean
• Kieran Yanner
• Dan Scott
• Mark Tedin

…With more to be announced! Be sure to keep an eye on our Guests page for a full rundown of who is joining us in Philadelphia!

We are excited to share some Main Stage content that is taking place at MagicCon: Philadelphia! A huge thank you to those who have applied to run Community Panels at the show. The selected panels will be announced in January!

Game Knights Live

Jimmy Wong, Josh Lee Kwai, and the Game Knights crew are back for another throwdown! Will Jimmy keep the title belt he won at Magic 30, or will another champion rise?

Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Panel

Behold the wonders of Phyrexia! Take a guided tour through the art of the new set "Phyrexia: All Will Be One" with Magic art directors and artists as they show you the spectacle and horrors of the home plane for Magic's greatest villains.

Phyrexian Language Panel

Exult in the power of Phyrexia by learning their language! That's right, Wizards of the Coast designed an entire language for Magic's best villains. You may not be compleated after spending this hour with our expert linguists, but you'll have a head start on everyone else when Phyrexia takes over the multiverse.

First Look: March of the Machine

Now that you're getting comfortable in Phyrexia, it's time for the first look at March of the Machine! See where the Phyrexians' plan for the multiverse reaches its incredible climax with major card, art, story, and product reveals for Magic's next release.

Secret Lair Panel

Go behind the scenes with members of the Secret Lair team to hear how Secret Lairs come into existence, how concepts move from idea to art descriptions for these unique cards, and maybe even some reveals of future releases.

Cosplay Contest

The Cosplay Contest is back! Watch some of the most talented Cosplayers in the industry compete for prizes on the main stage at MagicCon: Philadelphia! If you want to take part, apply here!

Ok – firstly we apologize for that terrible heading, but we couldn’t help ourselves! There will be a wide variety of Magic merchandise available at MagicCon: Philadelphia. The official MagicCon Store is back, along with even more exhibitors and vendors! Stay tuned for updates on who will be joining us in Philly. Meanwhile, here’s a small sneak preview of some of the MagicCon Store items for Philadelphia!

Our perfect nighttime gathering won’t be compleat without you. Join us on February 18 from 8 p.m . - 12 a.m, to exult in the glory of Phyrexia and party like a Praetor! Come in costume if you wish, dance, drink, and mingle with fellow fans and Magic personalities!

The party is for ages 21 and up only and will be held at an offsite location. More venue information coming soon! Tickets are available now to purchase as an add-on. Black Lotus badge holders get access to the party with their badge.

Group rate accommodations are available through Connections Housing on a first come, first served basis. Reservation acknowledgements are emailed to you within seconds of confirming the reservation.

To get started with booking your reservation, please click here.

When our Black Lotus ticket package launched, we accidentally omitted the backpack!  We’re sorry for the mistake.  All Black Lotus ticket packages include a backpack to hold all your event merchandise and goodies!

Whew, that was a lot of information! Hopefully this update covered your most burning questions and satiated your curiosity about the first stop on the 2023 MagicCon tour! We are so excited to have you join us at our event. Book your flights, buy your badge and get ready to party like a Praetor as all will gather this February in Philadelphia!