Israeli geek convention ICon returns for hybrid festival at Sukkot

Dubbed "Mini-ICon," the festival will be held over three days, September 22-23 and 26, during the Sukkot holiday.

An elaborate cosplay costume contest rewarded Israeli geeks for their painstaking handiwork (photo credit: JONATHAN WIETZ)
An elaborate cosplay costume contest rewarded Israeli geeks for their painstaking handiwork
(photo credit: JONATHAN WIETZ)

Israel's premier geek convention ICon is back for 2021 in a limited form.

Dubbed "Mini-ICon," the festival will be held over the course of three days during the Sukkot holiday on September 22-23 and 26.

Unlike in previous years, the festival will be held in a hybrid format, with virtual events held online and in-person events held at the Eshkol Pais venue near the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

Due to social distancing restrictions because of COVID-19, tickets must be reserved for all the in-person events - even the free ones, and space is limited. 

Also due to the restrictions, the vendors selling new or used books, comics, geek paraphernalia will not be present this year, though shopping will be available at Dizengoff Center.

Dizengoff Mall on Election Day, March, 2021 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Dizengoff Mall on Election Day, March, 2021 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

Tickets are also needed for the virtual events.

First organized by the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy in 1998, the ICon Festival is a much-anticipated annual event for geeks. It often attracts high-profile guests from across the geek world, such as in 2019, when it featured famed fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson

Tickets can be bought online after registering here.

For a full list of the events at this year's ICon, check here.