- FanX Salt Lake Comic and Pop Culture Convention faces major changes due to Salt Palace's upcoming three-year closure.
- The event will split into two smaller events in March and Sept. 2027.
- FanX will relocate to Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy during the three-year renovation.
SALT LAKE CITY — Organizers of the popular FanX Salt Lake Comic and Pop Culture Convention are preparing for drastic event changes, as the Salt Palace Convention Center undergoes a remodel that will keep it closed for three years.
The full closure, as KSL first reported on Tuesday, will begin in the fall of 2027. FanX will go on as normal this year, but it will be split into two smaller events in March and September next year because only half of the venue will be open, Dan Farr, the event's founder, told KSL.
Once the Salt Palace closes, FanX plans to move to the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy while construction proceeds, he added. He and his team are "nervous" about what the Salt Palace redesign and renovation will mean for the convention, which draws tens of thousands of attendees to downtown Salt Lake City every year.
They're planning on turning this year's event, taking place Sept. 24-26, into a "big last sendoff" since the next few years will look completely different.
"I think we're looking at really making a big celebration with it — making it the best we can because it is going to be the last time we're going to have that much square footage and that many vendors and the number of celebrities," Farr said.
The Salt Palace's remodel coincides with the creation of a new large sports and entertainment district downtown. The revamped Salt Palace will feature two ballrooms, doubling the number of major conventions that can be held at one time, according to Visit Salt Lake, which helps book events at the massive downtown Salt Lake City venue.
Salt Lake County officials estimate that it will generate $105 million in added revenue annually from the current layout.
It's a "bitter pill" for people like Farr, though, who said his event thrives on the way the Salt Palace is configured now.
FanX debuted in 2013, bringing the likes of Adam West, Henry Winkler, Stan Lee and William Shatner. Farr said he considered holding the event at the Mountain America Expo Center at the beginning, but ultimately determined it wasn't large enough to hold the anticipated audience.
It's been an annual Salt Palace staple ever since, growing every year with big names and cult figures in the film, television, literary and comic entertainment industry. Last year's event attracted approximately 100,000 visitors, though the number is likely higher because children aged 10 and younger can attend for free with an adult, Farr said.
This year's lineup already includes Helen Hunt, Rainn Wilson, Giancarlo Esposito and Angela Kinsey, and there are weekly guest unveilings leading up to the September event. Over 100 celebrities are anticipated to attend, one of the largest groups so far.
The next few years will be a logistical challenge, Farr said, starting with half the space in 2027. That's why the event will be split in half into two smaller events. Organizers are trying to be efficient with the available space while Smith Entertainment Group, owner of the Utah Jazz and Mammoth, prepares for their "mid block" project between the Delta Center and Salt Palace.
FanX officials are still piecing together what the Sandy shows will look like with its smaller footprint. The venue offers 243,000 square feet of exhibit space, nearly a third of the Salt Palace's current exhibit space.
Moving back to Sandy is going to create some problems, but we will still do whatever we can to make sure that the fan experience is the best it can be.
–Dan Farr, FanX founder
That's likely to limit the number of tickets sold, Farr said, with some possible side events also taking place. It might also be more difficult to attract high-profile guests because larger crowds generally draw top talent.
"Moving back to Sandy is going to create some problems," he said, "but we will still do whatever we can to make sure that the fan experience is the best it can be."
FanX is not the only major convention reeling from news of the upcoming Salt Palace closure. Organizers of the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo called it "disheartening," although not entirely unexpected.
"We were hopeful and planning to continue holding our event at the Salt Palace through the entire reconstruction process," said Chris Carling, the event's director, in a statement to KSL.
Instead, the final Hunting Expo at the Salt Palace before its renovation will take place in February 2027, Carling said. The event will then be held at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy over the next few years, as well.
