NYCC 2026: Panel Lineup for Horror Fans

No more wearing silly costumes and circling the gacha section for hours- now I’ll be wearing silly costumes, circling the gacha, and locking in on these exclusive first look events for horror fans. There is some really exciting stuff happening this year as New York Comic Con hosts its 20th anniversary convention on October 8-11. I’m talking Crystal Lake, THE horror husbands, Blumfest, Dexter Resurrection, and more. Here’s your guide to hitting all the best horror film and tv previews and panels. 

Thursday October 8th is a big day for horror television fans. As soon as you get into the convention you’ll want to grab some pics in your first cosplay of the weekend then head up to the Main Stage for the Dexter Resurrection Season 2 Panel happening from 12:30pm-2pm. There isn’t much information on what to expect for this panel but they promise some “killer surprises”, so I’m already thrilled. 

Phillips, C. (2025–present). Dexter: Resurrection. Showtime Studios; Counterpart Studios; Paramount Television Studios

Now this one is for a very specific type of horror fan. The Helluva Boss world premiere screening and Q&A is happening on the Main Stage with the cast and creators from 5:15pm-6:45pm. This puts me in a hard spot because it overlaps by 15 minutes with the next exclusive screening on Thursday night. As of now, I’m still trying to choose between them. 

That brings us to the next exclusive first-look screening that Peacock and A24 are hosting for the upcoming Crystal Lake series which is a prequel to the Friday the 13th film we all know and love. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with Linda Cardellini and the rest of the cast. The best for last at the Empire Stage from 6:30pm-8:00pm. 

Wow, Thursday is a busy busy day for horror fans. And don’t forget Thursday is also the best day to shop Artist Alley and the Showroom to get first dibs on exclusive art and merch. 

Friday starts off really strong with one of the most killer duos in horror. The Ghostface Forever: 30th Anniversary of Scream Panel is at 11:00am-12:00pm at the Empire Stage. Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich will be taking the stage to talk Scream and answer audience questions. Lillard is known for being a delight to see at conventions, so this definitely isn’t one to miss. 

Craven, W. (Director). (1996). Scream [Film]. Dimension Films.

Next, if you like dark television comedy, Ghosts and Eternally Yours Panel is happening on the Main Stage from 1:45pm-3:00pm. There will be exclusive previews of the upcoming seasons. 

Another television preview, but this time with AMC+ as they discuss some of their upcoming series. YAGA, the daryl dixon: walking dead, another addition to the Anne Rice tv universe, and more. There will be cast and creators of the shows there to speak about them from 3:30pm-6:00pm on the Main Stage. 

Like Thursday, we have another panel overlap, Violent Night 2 and Blumfest is happening from 5:30pm-7:30pm on the Empire Stage! This is a really cool opportunity to see exclusive first-looks of Violent Night 2 and upcoming Blumhouse projects. 

Violent Night 2. Directed by Tommy Wirkola, Universal Pictures, 2026.

To wrap up the night in style, Slayyy! Dressing to Kill: The Iconic Costumes of FX’s “American Horror Story” goes from 8:00pm-9:00pm in North-Room 405. This is going to be a fun with as the cast and creators discuss costuming decisions from the hit show. 

Thursday and Friday are absolutely stacked with panels for horror fans. Unfortunately, it’s only these days because Saturday and Sunday don’t have any stand out horror film or television type panels. Considering the first two days of the convention are also the best time to purchase merch and goodies from artist alley… it’s going to be a hectic start to the con. Which panels will you be attending?