🎉 Welcome to WishCon 🎲
Timaru's Pop Culture & Gaming Convention!
Join us for a weekend of wonder, fun, and fandom!
WishCon is a family-friendly celebration of all things geeky – from board games and trading cards to cosplay, anime, collectibles, and more. Featuring vendors, tournaments, "play-to-win" games, mystery prize bags, and interactive events for fans of every age.
✨ Raising funds for Make-A-Wish NZ – making magic for real-life heroes.
📲 Follow us for updates, giveaways, and the latest announcements!
About Us: Who are we?
WishCon was born from an excess of enthusiasm—four passionate fans of geekdom with a shared mission: bring the fun back into fundraising. What started as a simple idea to create a local event for gamers, collectors, cosplayers, and families has grown into a heartfelt project to build community, celebrate fandom, and raise money for a good cause—all at once.
At the core of WishCon is a love of gaming and the belief that these hobbies can unite people across all ages and walks of life. We’re creating a space where everyone can feel welcome, explore their passions, and connect with others—right here in Timaru.
While our event raises money for charity, our approach is different: no pressure, no pretence—just fun, community, and shared joy doing what we love.
Meet the Organisers
The Shiny Squad – Charlie & Jo
You'll probably spot us in cosplay or surrounded by plushies! We both work at EB Games Timaru and live for all things Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Stitch, and anything cute. WishCon is a chance for us to bring that energy into the real world. Our favourite part? Seeing the kids light up with excitement—nothing beats that.
Mana & Meeples – Nikki & Phil
We’re long-time hobbyists with a love for board games, Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and roleplaying games. Nikki is a midwife, Phil is a data scientist—and together we’ve run large-scale events up north, including weekend-long LARPs. Bringing that experience to Timaru and seeing the local excitement has been incredible. This community deserves it.
Why Timaru?
Timaru is full of passionate, creative people who love games, collectibles, cosplay, and pop culture. We’ve seen the excitement firsthand, and we know the community is ready to come together and celebrate what they love. WishCon is our way of bringing that energy to life—fun, inclusive, and uniquely local.
Looking Ahead
We’ve got big dreams for WishCon. This is just the beginning. Our hope is to grow it into a cornerstone event for South Canterbury—year after year, with even more opportunities to support good causes while celebrating the hobbies we love.
Event Highlights
- Blood on the Clocktower: An award-winning social-deduction experience, hosted by award-winning Game Master Brad Thompson.
- Dungeons & Dragons: One-shot adventures run by our team of experienced Game Masters—perfect for newcomers and veterans alike.
- Board Game Library: Unlimited play on a diverse selection of titles throughout the day (included with your entry ticket).
- Pokémon Trading Card Game: Learn to play from a professional Pokémon Professor, then put your skills to the test in a tournament.
- Cosplay & Dress-Up: Come as your favorite pop-culture, comic, or Pokémon character—cosplay prizes to be won!
- Art Competition: Showcase your creativity: more details (categories, submission guidelines, prizes) coming soon.
- Vendor Market: Browse stalls from local and Canterbury-based sellers offering Pokémon cards, plushies, merch, and more.
- More to Be Announced: Keep an eye on our channels—additional activities and special guests are still being confirmed!