By George Bate & Josh Bate
Star Wars Celebration Europe is just one week away, meaning many people will be making their way to London for the highly anticipated convention. Whether you’re going to a Star Wars Celebration for the first time or want some helpful tips heading into the latest Celebration, we’ve assembled a guide to help navigate the convention.
1. Leave early each day
Regardless of whether you won entry to a major panel through the panel lottery or have access through your Jedi Master VIP ticket, it’s key to arrive to each day of Star Wars Celebration as early as you can. If you are attending one of the major panels, it’s probably best to arrive at the convention center three hours in advance. Minutes can quickly turn into hours waiting for the initial crowds to enter the convention center, so you’d rather be safe than sorry.
2. Bring a backpack with snacks and reusable water bottles
You’ll want to stay hydrated during the long days of walking at the convention. Unfortunately, water bottles are expensive and also can take up a lot of time to get due to the lengthy lines at kiosks and restaurants. We recommend packing a reusable water bottle for the day. The convention center has refilling stations to keep topping up during the day. In a similar vain, pack some snacks in case you’re hungry!
3. Bring a mask!
Stay safe and have a mask on hand to wear in the big crowds.
4. Budget
Between tickets, photo ops, autographs, merchandise, food, and more, Star Wars Celebration can be a costly venture. We recommend budgeting carefully as you head into the convention to know how much money you’re willing to spend as to avoid going over-budget.
5. Make time for the official Celebration store
The official Star Wars Celebration store is always a highlight of each Celebration, giving fans the opportunity to purchase rare convention exclusives. It can be quite laborious to make a reservation online and then line up in person to entry into the store, but trust us – it’s worth it. The book section of the store is must-see, while convention exclusive t-shirts always look great.
6. Follow Star Wars Holocron for live updates
As with previous Star Wars Celebrations, Star Wars Holocron will be providing minute-by-minute live updates of all the breaking news at the convention. This will include live tweets of the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase, the Ahsoka panel, and other panels at the convention.
7. Book your autographs/photo ops around panels you want to attend
It can be heartbreaking to find out you have a photo op or autograph scheduled with someone at a time that conflicts with a panel you want to attend. It’s very difficult (if not impossible) to change the scheduled time of an autograph or photo op. So make sure you’re scheduling carefully.
8. Take time for the experiential side of Star Wars Celebration
One of the highlights of last year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim was The Mandalorian Experience (you can see a full description and photo gallery here). Take advantage of any experiences at this year’s Star Wars Celebration to engage with Star Wars in a more hands-on manner. Go to the terrific Art Show. Take pictures with cosplayers. Pose in front of the massive vehicles on display. And, if there’s a repeat of The Mandalorian Experience, make sure to line up and attend – it’s worth it.
9. Be respectful!
It can quickly become overwhelming with the crowds at Star Wars Celebration, and manners often go out the window unfortunately. Please make attending the convention a positive experience for everyone by being respectful of others. Cosplay is not consent, don’t cut in line, and say “Hello there!” to your fellow Star Wars fans.
10. Use the Star Wars Celebration app
Be sure to download the official Star Wars Celebration app. Not only will this provide you with opportunities to make light speed reservations for experiences like the Celebration store, but it will also include maps of the convention center, which makes navigating through the booths and stalls of the showplace floor so much easier.
11. Ask convention staff for help
When in doubt, ask Celebration staff for help. Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive with staff members working the event, and they’re (most of the time) more than happy to provide directions or answer a quick question.
12. Get some English food!
English food unfairly gets a bad wrap, especially by Americans. English chocolate especially is fantastic and makes for an easy snack while walking through the convention. Around the convention center are many great restaurants and pubs to enjoy a meal after a long day of walking around the convention center.
13. Prioritize the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase
If you prioritize one panel to attend, make sure it’s the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase. As you can tell from our detailed breakdown of last year’s Lucasfilm Studio Showcase, this is the panel featuring all the big stars, breaking news, and exclusive footage.
Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 takes place from April 7 – April 10 at ExCeL in London, England. Stay tuned for detailed coverage of the event!