Q-Con: Belfast convention attracts thousands of ‘geeks and nerds’

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has once again hosted a vibrant celebration of geek culture with Q-Con.

The gaming and anime convention is one of the largest on the island of Ireland attracting thousands of attendees.

Now in its 30th year, Q-Con utilised much of the QUB campus with dedicated gaming, retail and trading areas.

The event was also an opportunity for cosplayers to show off their extravagant, custom-made outfits.

Richard Dowling from Bangor was wearing a “surprisingly light” 3D-printed helmet, which he said was five months in the making.

For him, Q-Con is all about “seeing everyone and getting photos”.

“It’s a lively community… it’s very relaxed, its great to have a big community of geeks and nerds,” he said.

Another attendee, Melissa O’Brien, travelled from Galway for the convention.

“It’s just like-minded people hanging out, its a lot of fun,” she said.

Her outfit, inspired by Japanese art, took a month to construct.

“I’ve made 150 strawberries and 35 bows and meters and meters of fabric,” she said.

“People are like, ‘wow, look at all the detail’… it’s just nice to see people’s reaction.”