It’s Anaheim again.
VidCon 2024… wait, no, 2026. The big gathering for online creators and their fiercely loyal fans is happening this week. Thursday to Saturday. Hundreds of panels. Workshops that feel like strategy sessions but hit like therapy.
The creator economy is no longer a side hustle. It is a multibillion dollar machine. The event brings together the whole spectrum — gamers, vloggers, executives — spanning YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Discord.
This year feels different though. Mainstream crossovers are actual news now. Movies like Backrooms and Obsession prove it. Even Hot Ones. What started as a low budget YouTube experiment ten years ago is now a thirty season cultural fixture. Late night hosts are finally asking if the traditional interview format is dead.
Yet.
The attention economy shifted. From a few megastars to a vast network of brands. Now creators face the elephant in the room. Artificial intelligence. VidCon isn’t just for high fives. It’s a place to figure out how to stand out when the algorithm gets scary.
What even is VidCon?
- John and Hank Green. Vlogbrothers. It started small. Humble. A grassroots thing for fans.
Now it pulls in 50,000 to 75,00 people. Big industry summit status.
Crystal Bell. Digital culture editor at Mashable. She says the event has “evolved significantly.”
“What began as a fan focused gathering centered on YouTube creators has grown much broader,” Bell said.
She sees it as a coming of age story for the economy. It’s not just about making cool content anymore. It’s about scaling a business. Real business.
There are three tracks now. The Fan track is interactive. IRL meetups. Chaos and fun. The Creator track is for networking. Strategizing. The Industry track is where the media suits show up.
Who is showing up?
Thursday night opens the Hall of Fame at 6 p.m.
Markiplier. Philip DeFranco. Michelle Phan. Cassey Ho from Blogilates. The honorees.
Then the rest of the roster. Dozens of creators. You might bump into Nick Kosir. The dancing weatherman. Or aCookieGod, the Minecrafter who recently unmasked himself. Some of them made The Mashable 101. The top one hundred.
CNET Group is there too. They own this publication and Mashable. CNET’s marketing manager, Tara Brown, called it a chance for people interested in the field to meet. Makes sense.
On Friday, Lindsey Turrentine speaks. Executive VP of content for CNET. The session title is heavy. The Trust Gap: Why Expertise Wins in the Age Infinite Content.
She shares the stage with Karl Stewart from IGN. Jennifer Kiffer and Nick Wolny from CNET.
They are tackling AI. Specifically, how to win in a world saturated by AI slop. The argument is simple. Trust comes from expertise. Not forced authenticity.
“Lean into the human part,” Turrentine said, “but always with expert knowledge.”
Journalists. Scientists. Chefs. Anyone who actually studied hard. They have the raw material. Be yourself. But know your stuff.
Later on Saturday, Mashable runs a mentorship session. 10:30 a.m. Pitch Please: The Mistakes Creators Make In Their Pitches And How To Fix Them. Outreach strategies. Brand stories. Press relations. Sounds tedious but vital if you want sponsors to answer the phone.
Gadgets?
Yes. Always yes.
Exhibitors range from Blackmagic Design video pros to Bandai toys. Elgato showed off streamer tools in previous years. Mobile mics. Capture cards. If you like playing with shiny new tech, you will lose your mind in the expo hall.
Is it free?
Hard no.
VidCon is a paid event.
Three passes.
– VidCon pass for fans
– Creator pass for the creators
– Pro pass for industry types
Single day tickets start at $1009? No. $109. Still pricey.
What else is there to do?
