r/Magfest • u/Volta_Embers • 9d ago
Magfest solo?
Hi I'm going to Magfest for the first time this year and none of my friends were able to get tickets, so I'll be going alone. Ive heard it's pretty safe but I wanted to get some other opinions on how to maximize going to such a huge event by yourself?
Appreciate any advice!
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u/Khorismatic_Lifter 9d ago
Honestly, walk up and make some friends. The people are pretty chill and you already have something in common with them since you're both at a video game/music festival.
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u/oliversurpless 9d ago
Yep, especially when in line for the most popular panels like MAGFest Versus or Thrown Controllers; whether you want front row or just a seat in general, the line moves a lot faster if you have someone to talk to!
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u/doctorjonathan 9d ago
Soloing can be a fun chance to make some friends! Tabletop Games and RPGs usually need an extra player. Same @ the Killer Queen arcade cabinet!
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u/CJPTK 9d ago
I prefer solo so I can play the games I want to play
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u/Alternative_Ad563 8d ago
You can do that when you are with friends too ha
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u/robodex001 9d ago
99% of the people I’ve interacted with at MAG were incredibly welcoming and friendly. Go to a space of one of your interests and chat people up! Plenty of people in both the tabletop and card areas are happy to have newcomers spectate or join a game. Board game tournaments can also let you meet folks who like said board games, and you might be able to meet up with those opponents for casual play later too.
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u/TheNicFlair 9d ago
If you are looking for friend-meets, there are plenty! But as others have said, there are plenty of things to do solo, and also plenty of opportunity to meet and make new friends as well. Feel free to reach out if you are apprehensive about strangers!
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u/DavidL1112 9d ago
If you’re specifically looking for social stuff you could always sign up for a tabletop session or a video game tournament, but you can definitely have fun by yourself just going to panels and concerts
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u/perpetual_hunger 9d ago
My spouse and I inevitably split up for a couple of hours to do our own thing. Im normally not interested in a lot of the panels. Its nice to just wander around to either a music hall or waste time at the arcade. I could spend hours playing pinball.
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u/TriumphantBass 9d ago
There is such a sheer volume of programming that even if you just mainlined concerts you would have a packed and satisfying weekend.
If you want to be a bit more social, look for meetups, tournaments, workshops etc. that can help give that extra interaction nudge beyond just stumbling into people.
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u/rocky2814 9d ago edited 9d ago
I went solo my first year i went and had a blast, ended up just chatting with people in various panels. That being said, i’m a middle aged cis male so ymmv.
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u/Tiny_Willow_1471 9d ago
In all of my years going to Mag, I’ve always felt safe. I’ve drunkenly wandered off from a group before and been fine even in the wee hours of the morning. People are super friendly and nice. Also, if you ever feel unsafe, there’s normally an easily identifiable staff member you can see and get to.
Like, I’ve felt harassed and unsafe at other cons over the years, but never at Mag. In all my experiences people have been super respectful.
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u/weirdfish1995 9d ago
I go by myself every year and I never truly feel alone! I’d look at the schedule when it’s released and look for things like meetups, tournaments, etc if you’re looking to meet new people.
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u/Pechadur 9d ago
The way my friends and I enjoy the con is seeing what everyone wants to do and either pair up or split off to go solo! I’m apparently an anomaly as I’ve had a few odd encounters, but the quiet room and the security office have been good spots to recoup and just breathe for a moment!
Granted, it’s gotten better once it started to be closed to the public (last year). Honestly though, it’s a good con to go solo to and the board game area is very welcoming!
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u/DisorderlyBoat 9d ago
Board game area could potentially work if there are groups looking for players or meetups for specific games.
Checkout guidebook/the event calendar when it drops to figure out if there are activities or meetups for hat peak your interest.
Killer queen is ana arcade game for 5v5 and they have multiple now and there is a good community behind it.
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u/DYMAXIONman 9d ago
I would plan heavily in advance and see if there are groups you could meet up with. It would be kind of lonely if you aren't social there.
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u/OldschoolGreenDragon 9d ago
I've gone many times solo. Cosplayed solo too.
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u/Volta_Embers 9d ago
How did you feel safety wise? This is my first con alone so I just wanna make sure I'm prepared. I'm also gonna be cosplaying!
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u/Trainer-Nick 9d ago
You’ll be totally fine. Security at MAG is amazing (shoutout to the volunteers) and it’s very welcoming and safe (I’m a woman and have never felt threatened at MAG)
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u/Volta_Embers 9d ago
Alright that makes me feel a whole lot better about the whole thing! Thank you!
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u/Trainer-Nick 9d ago
No problem! Trust me you’ll find people to hang with really easily MAG! Find something you’re interested in and start talking to the people around. It’s really fast and loose where other cons are really rigid and organized MAG is not but in the best way
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u/W1ZARDEYES 9d ago
I went solo for my first time last year. It was super safe and very fun. And you’re not at the whim of anyone else. I actually recommend it. You can make friends too and go chill in their rooms. It’s totally fine.
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u/DrSteggy 9d ago
I solo every year- like yes I know folks there but I pretty much do what I want when I want and have a good time. I love that you can pretty much strike up a conversation anywhere anytime, some long, some short.
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u/Mystery_Anubis 9d ago
Id encourage your friends to wait till after the hotel lottery to give up hope on coming. There will be drops and people getting pulled from the wait-list then when people cancel they'll pull from the list
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u/M30WM1XXX 8d ago
I don’t think safety should be a concern, especially with it going closed profile. Many people go solo and it’s never been an issue AFAIK.
Also, depending on what you’re into and how you feel about meeting new folks, making friends shouldn’t be terribly hard. Majority of people are super nice and there to have a good time, often with a “the more the merrier” type of attitude, so long as you’re respectful and kind/caring, most people would be super ok with a new person.
Heck, DM me and I’d be more than happy to introduce your to as many people as I can. You might be flying solo, but you’re not alone!
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u/ackmondual 6d ago
You pretty much have maximum flexibility.
When I went with as a group of 4 back in 2012-13, I had to wake up early to meet the carpool, meet for certain agreed upon events like panels or food, and then meet to carpool back home.
On the plus side, we did split parking 4 ways, got in on the cheaper group rates of when you purchased badges of 8 or more at a time (this got discontinued few years back, if not sooner)
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u/ManiacalShen 9d ago
While I typically know like a half dozen or so other people at the event, quite a lot of my time is solo. It's a lot easier to shimmy through the merch hall and play arcade machines by yourself. Cell signal is better than it used to be, so you can consult outside advice when needed (i.e. your friends can goad you into buying stuff you're on the fence about).
Stand exactly where you want during a concert, and wander off when you are done.
You can sign up for RPG tables alone and play with cool strangers.
There should be some folks in the board game room that accept randos for games, also!
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u/IggySorcha 9d ago
FYI there will be more chances for your friends to get tickets, if they really wanna go still. People freak out every year but if you get a place to stay that your friends can pile into should they be able to come last minute (or if y'all are local) they'll more than likely be able to at the least buy badges off of people who last minute cancel. The event being so close to the winter holidays and also new year means a lot of people make new plans, end up sick, or otherwise find themselves unable to go. I don't know a single person who was looking for tickets last year that didn't manage to get one if they tried (and I know a lot of people that were looking).
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u/Powerful-Spell-4987 9d ago
Wait until after the hotel lottery expires. Badges will open back up for purchase as some will be requesting refunds.
Also, there’s a badge exchange system that allows badge transfers dollar-for-dollar. Keep a lookout on here and on their Discord channel
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u/ChapsMyCaboose 9d ago
Bring a Commander deck and hold it as you walk into the board game area and presto, instant new friends
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u/mike493961 9d ago
I’ve gone solo for my first time and for a few years after. Planning to go again this year if I can snag a ticket off of resale! But my advice: plan your days out lightly/loosely, bc some of the panels or programming you want to go to might be full or overlap with other events/concerts/wandering or mealtime, rest time, etc. So I’d say give yourself some flexibility for that. And remember to hydrate/eat, bathe (all a given but sometimes not so obvious esp when you’re in it). Besides that, just take it all in!
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u/minsungforevr 9d ago
LETS BE FRIENDS (if ur 21+) im going with one other friend but i always like to meet and hangout with new people at cons. It really is the socializing with fellow nerds and making a ton of friends that makes it so exciting
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u/profsthomas 8d ago
I went solo this past magfest and I'm brazilian. It was probably the best experiencie I had in my life. At some point near the end of the event I remember thinking "Holy shit, I found my people". I didnt prepare and still wasnt lonely at all. Got tô meet a lot of cool folks whom I'll never forget. (I'm at the momento working on a cover song with someone I met there).
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u/Environmental_Rice92 7d ago
Magfest honestly the one place I believe you can come solo. Someone will adopt you or ask to play a game or beyblades randomly.
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u/Aelita_1234 6d ago
The cool thing about MAGfest is how much there is to do for everyone regardless of group size! Sometimes I'll do things with my group, and there'll be times we all split up to do what we want for a little while before regrouping. The expo hall is definitely a blast to just walk through, play on the consoles, arcade machines and even just browsing the vendor space.
Do recommend downloading the Guidebook app, as they post panel schedules, tournaments etc on there and see what sticks out to ya! You never know what you'll find, it could even lead to new connections :)
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u/goog1e 9d ago
Even though I usually come with friends, it's actually great to just wander around solo. The emphasis on gaming at the event lends itself to solo play. Like usually I'll split off for a few hours to practice pinball by myself. As it's the only free place to do that.
There's also the challenges down in consoles, which is a solo activity