Shanay Holmes Talks Musical Con 2025

Musical Con, the world’s biggest musical theatre fan convention, announces a star-studded lineup as they return for their fourth annual event on 18th and 19th October 2025 at ExCel London with over 60 special guests from the world of musical theatre. Co-founder Shanay Holmes kindly chatted to us: 

Musical Con returns for its a fourth year on Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th October 2025. How did the idea for the convention arise?

We can’t believe it’s in its fourth year! Its just incredible! The convention idea came whilst taking my little brother to the Star Wars Celebration in London. It’s the first time I’d ever heard of Cosplay or been to a convention!

My little brother has autism and can sometimes feel distressed and anxious in spaces with lots of people and this convention had 25000 attendees! Throughout the day I saw My brother become completely empowered by Cosplay, he felt safe and he was celebrated for his
passion for Star Wars!

That sparked something in me. If my brother could feel totally empowered at this convention there must be hundreds of musical fans out there who want to feel the same. Feel like their in a safe space to celebrate the one thing they love the most with no judgment just joy! I knew then I had to do it!

The location for the event will be the ExCel London. What is it about that location that works so well for Musical Con?

The Excel is great because it really is the home for pop culture events like Comic Con for example. Its easy to get into directly from the west end with loads of hotels and restaurants for visitors it just made sense.

Who are some of the special guests/performers taking part at this year’s event?

Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada! Two Broadway stars who are currently taking over the West End in Cabaret. They will both be doing special performances on the main stage and meet & greets. We also have the queen of the West End Kerry Ellis and the fabulous Layton Williams. This year we have over 60 stars joining us. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend!

What three pieces of advice do you have for people attending Musical Con 2025 for the first time?

The first one I would say is for the to attend our “First time attendee & solo attendee fan meet”. This is a scheduled meet for anyone attending for the first time its great to meet fellow attendees and make friends.

The second is to book your activities. There is so much to see and do that we recommended creating your own wish list for the day and personal itinerary, the stage door experiences (meet & greet), workshops and masterclasses tend to sell out so if you see any must
do’s then make sure you book them in.

The third is to bring your joy Musical Con is designed to be safe, Inclusive space for all so get ready to celebrate yourselves but most importantly each other!

In addition to the performances, what else can people do over the weekend?

They can shop till they drop at the Market Place or visit Theatreland which is full of immersive show exhibits. They can also book a masterclass or workshop or both to learn from the pros! One of the most exciting things to do is to book a meet & greet at one the stage door experiences.

What would you say are two of the biggest challenges for musical theatre in 2025?

Inclusivity and diversity. We are in a time where it is so important to have diversity in theatre from the top all the way down. We must strive to make genuine change there are so many stories out.

What is your favourite musical and why?

My favourite is RENT! It’s the first time I had ever seen anyone who looked like me on screen or in a musical and the first time I’d ever heard a musical sound like pop music! It’s the first time I knew I could have a career in Musical theatre and belong to it. The sentiment of RENT! Also lives so closely to my heart. “No day but today”.

What is next for Musical Con after the 2025 edition?

We hope we can keep refining keep making it better each year. We’d like to build on Musical Con and keep creating events that celebrate all that theatre is and all it can be.

Feature Image Photo Credit:  Supplied By Event Organiser

Musical Con 

Dates: Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th October 2025

Location: ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
Tickets: Day Tickets | £45
Weekend Tickets | £75
https://www.musicalcon.co.uk/tickets

How to get there: Using the DLR, Custom House (for the west entrance) and Prince
Regent (for the east entrance) are on the ExCel site – trains pull
up at a covered walkway, leaving visitors less than a two minutes’
walk to the entrance. If you are using the London Underground,
alight at Canning Town on the Jubilee Line and change onto a
Beckton-bound DLR train for the quick two-stop journey to ExCel.

For more detailed instructions, see https://www.musicalcon.co.uk/getting-here

Website: www.musicalcon.co.uk

Social Media: @musicalconwestend