San Diego Comic-Con 2025: Peacemaker’s Peacefest, ‘Twisted Metal’ Bumper Battle, & More

Erin Maxwell July 11, 2025, 10:30 am

Comments

While some fans flock to celebrity panels or blow their budget on the convention floor, savvy TV lovers know that one of the true highlights of San Diego Comic-Con is the explosion of over-the-top brand activations that transform downtown into a full-blown fandom playground. Whether it’s stepping inside your favorite sitcom, wandering through a beloved sci-fi universe, or exploring a set you’ve only seen on the small screen, Comic-Con offers immersive experiences that no other event can match.

Over the years, these activations have taken over more and more of the Gaslamp Quarter, growing in both size and popularity. Now you can attend a neighborhood block party hosted by your favorite fictional school or grab a bite at a backyard BBQ with an animated TV family you’ve known for years.

Here are just a few of the must-see TV activations popping up at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.

The Arlen Cookout (FX’s King of the Hill)

Where: Next to Parking Lot A behind the Convention Center

Welcome the return of Hank Hill and the gang the right way—with a full-on Texas-style cookout. To celebrate King of the Hill‘s August 4 return, Hulu is going big with a backyard bash featuring classic BBQ fare, ice-cold drinks, lawn games, and photo ops that put you right in the heart of Arlen. It’s a fitting tribute to the Hill family and a fun way for fans to kick back and say, “Yup.”

A Very Abbott Block Party (ABC’s Abbott Elementary)

Where: The blacktop behind the Convention Center

ABC throws a neighborhood block party complete with rides, games, junk food, and prizes from Abbott Elementary‘s lost and found. Cool off with “authentic Philly water ice” and enjoy the sights from the Ferris wheel. Completely free and completely fun.

#AbbottElementary is ready to FUN-raise at San Diego Comic-Con, inviting attendees to experience A Very Abbott Block Party. From authentic Philly water ice and a sky-high Ferris wheel to exclusive premiums from the school’s Lost and Found, it is sure to be the hottest party on… pic.twitter.com/bwqfeQKPmP

— Abbott Elementary (@AbbottElemABC) July 8, 2025

;

Alien: Earth – The Wreckage (FX’s Alien: Earth)

Where: Hilton Bayfront Lawn

FX brings Alien: Earth to Comic-Con by allowing attendees to explore the wreckage of the USCSS Maginot. During the day, fans can roam the remains of the ship, but at night, the activation takes a spooky turn as it becomes “The Wreckage: Code Red,” becoming a terrifying walk-thru complete with alien intruders and jump scares.

Clown in a Cornfield: The Experience (Shudder and AMC+)

Where: Hilton Gaslamp Quarter hotel terrace on 401 K street.

Meet Frendo, the newest horror icon in town, ready to make some deadly new friends at this year’s Comic-Con. The star of Shudder‘s Clown in a Cornfield is making his SDCC debut in terrifying fashion, as fans brave a twisted corn maze to see if they can survive Frendo’s wrath. Those who make it out alive can celebrate at the Survivors Party, complete with photo ops, games, and giveaways.

(Tickets will be available on Monday, July 21. Please visit @Shudder on Instagram and Twitter to obtain tickets. There will be a daily standby line available. This event is free and not recommended for children under 13. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian 18+.)

Paramount+’s The Lodge

Where: Happy Does Bar, 340 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

For a third year in a row, Paramount+ offers Comic-Con goers a change to explore The Lodge, a unique immersive experience that allows TV fans of all ages to experience their favorite shows while enjoying themed drinks. This year, The Lodge offers a change to enter the world of Dexter: Resurrection with a vault filled with “a chilling collection of relics, case files, and twisted keepsakes,” cosmic cocktails from the Intergalactic Love Lounge of Star Trek: Brave New World, The Landman Patch Cafe, a stripped-down safehouse inspired by Tony and Ziva’s journey in NCIS, and much, much more. Admission is free, but on a reservation system. Sessions can be booked via this link.

Paramount+ Nerd Out

Where: Omni Hotel lawn

San Diego Comic-Con 2025: Full List of TV Panels

What’s up, nerds? Paramount+ is giving fans a chance to indulge their inner geek with a tented activation packed with games, DIY activities, contests, and fun featuring their favorite Paramount shows and movies. Considering their catalog features everything from Star Trek: Discovery to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the activation should be a great time for geeks in attendance. No badge necessary to enjoy the festivities.

Peacefest (HBO Max’s Peacemaker)

Where: Nova SD Club, 454 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA

Rock out with your favorite unhinged hero at an ’80s-inspired activation packed with games, glam rock, goodies, and more, courtesy of the greatest American ever, Peacemaker. Score merch from Vigilante’s Hero S*** Merch Shop, grab goods from Harcourt’s KO Corner Bar, and explore explore the Quantum Unfolding Chamber. Entry is free with reservation at peacefest2025.com, though capacity is limited and all attendees must be 21+.

Peacefest

The Percy Jackson Experience (Disney+’s Percy Jackson and The Olympians)

Where: Fifth Ave and L St.

To promote Percy Jackson and The Olympians: Sea of Monsters, Disney is creating an interactive experience where guests can explore the Mist, discover if they’re a demigod, and grab some exclusive merch, all in anticipation of the upcoming season.

Phineas and Ferb’s “Whack-A-Pest” Game (Disney+ and Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb)

Where: Omni Hotel

Fix: Step into Episode 1 of Season 5 of Phineas and Ferb and simulate Candace’s frustration firsthand with a life-size “Whack-A-Pest” game. During Comic-Con, attendees can get their picture with a ginormous “Whack-A-Pest” game, compliments of the Disney Channel and Disney+.

Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures

The South Park Experience (Comedy Central)

Where: 1301 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101

Want to go on down to South Park and have yourself a time? Packed with interactive photo ops, screenings of fan-favorite episodes, exclusive merch, giveaways, cosplay contests, trivia, karaoke, and more, Comedy Central’s South Park Experience is a mainstay at San Diego Comic-Con that fans have come to look forward to. Reservations for the South Park experience go live at 10A PT/1P ET on Monday, 7/14. Follow @SouthPark for updates.

#SouthPark is back at San Diego Comic-Con!

Trey Parker & Matt Stone return to Comic-Con for the first time in nearly a decade as part of Comedy Central’s adult animation panel.

Plus, celebrate Friday and Saturday with a free South Park fan activation in San Diego—open to… pic.twitter.com/YguPebd8uF

— South Park (@SouthPark) July 10, 2025

Twisted Metal Bumper Battle (Peacock’s Twisted Metal)

Where: The Lot at 1ST & J – 450 2nd Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Step into the post-apocalyptic world of Twisted Metal and grab a battle car of your very own to wipe out the competition. Now’s your chance to experience Calypso’s deadly derby firsthand, as Peacock brings the dark, chaotic fun of Twisted Metal to Comic-Con with bumper cars you can crash and collide in. Join the tournament and experience the thrill of winning…if you dare. For fans not racing, there are also photo ops with cars from the show, as well as a few surprises throughout the Con.

UNIT’s Black Archive (BBC Studios’s Doctor Who)

Where: The Harbor Club in the Gaslamp District (100 E Harbor Dr)

Enter the Doctor Who fan-favorite episode “The Day of the Doctor” as you’re recruited into UNIT to help the Doctor defeat classic Whovian adversaries, including the mad Daleks, the savage Cybermen, and the eerie Silence. The experience also serves as an archive, a photo op, and a chance to grab some merch to remember it by (if you manage to remember the Silence, that is). UNIT’s Black Archive display will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 24 through Saturday, July 26, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. The activation will be first come/first serve, with no reservations.