This upcoming weekend, the Jaarbeurs Utrecht will once again transform into the heart of the Netherlands’ biggest pop culture event: Heroes Dutch Comic Con. And it’s a celebration the whole family will love! This winter edition features even more to do, see and experience, especially for children. Young Heroes will be given the spotlight with an extended Kids Area, creative workshops, exciting meet & greets, and countless activities around games, comics, and beloved franchises. Boredom is simply not an option!
Winter Carnival & Kids Plaza
Hall 4 will be transformed into the Winter Carnival Area by Vcompany Group, where kids can go all out on giant inflatables and a spectacular obstacle course. At the Kids Plaza, 4Kids-4Crea returns with glitter tattoos, face painting and a wide selection of creative materials. Children can create sand art, shop crafting supplies, and design their own keychain or fridge magnet in the new Pixel XL workshop.
Magical Princess Meet & Greets
Young visitors can experience the magic of meeting popular princesses from beloved animated films. Throughout the weekend, they can meet Jasmine, Ariel, Merida, Sleeping Beauty and Belle, among others. Whether it’s a photo, a wave, or a short chat. Anything is possible!
Create Your Own Comic in the Comic Canvas
Studio Sjambar proudly presents the Comic Canvas, where children step into the shoes of a real comic artist. Guided by Rames, young creators learn how to design their own character and discover step-by-step how a true comic comes to life.
Gaming for Kids
In the Heroes Gaming Hall, there’s plenty for young gamers to enjoy. The Nintendo Free2Play area is packed with games like Mario Kart and Pokémon Z-A. Kids can dance their hearts out to hits like “Blue” in Just Dance 2026. Over in the TCG Area, children (and adults!) can trade Pokémon cards, join in matches, learn more about the game or even have their card values checked — and swap directly with other fans.
Shop ’till You Drop (Sinterklaas and Santa, take notes!)
Shopping lovers will once again find everything they dream of. Looking for Lego, Marvel, or Pokémon items? Prefer a cute plushie, stationery, or craft materials? Or maybe books, Funko Pops or games? You’ll find it all!
Paul van Loon & 35 Years of De Griezelbus
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Paul van Loon’s legendary Griezelbus, and the celebration will be extra special at the event. The new anniversary edition of De Griezelbus 1 & 2 will be officially launched, complete with the original illustrations by Camila Fialkowski. Visitors can meet Paul van Loon, get their books signed, and pick up a free Griezelbus newspaper (while supplies last).
This is just a small taste of the full program and activities. Saturday tickets are already sold out, so be quick and secure your tickets for Sunday!
