Category: announcements

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Announcing our 2022 Venue!

Looking for the Octocon 2022 website? Find it here!

As Octocon 2021 kicks off, we can finally talk about our plans for 2022 and the new venue we’ve secured to make our return to in-person conventions as best as can be! Our wonderful Chairperson Raissa revealed the news in the 2021 Opening Ceremony.

Octocon is going to Croke Park!

The home of Irish sports is the new home for Ireland’s National Science Fiction Convention. The next Octocon will take place on October 15-16, 2022 in Croke Park.

Registration for Octocon 2022 is now open!

Membership prices for 2022:

  • Adults (22+) – €60
  • Young Adult (13-21) – €20
  • Concession – €40
  • Supporting – €20
  • Friend – €100

We look forward to seeing you there!

Please note that if you purchased membership for 2020, it has been rolled over to 2022 already.

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The Octocon 2021 Programme is Live

Our schedule is officially live, and packed with panels, interviews, talks, workshops, fan chats, readings, games and guest chats (aka kaffeeklatsches).

View the programme

How to watch and attend:

You need to register for Octocon (for free!) and accept our code of conduct if you want to access our Discord server and any of the Zoom meetings for programme items, or join our social spaces.

Registered members will receive a link to our Discord by email. An email will also be sent with sign-up links for workshops, games and guest chats.

  • Panels and interviews (50 minutes): Streamed live to Twitch Channel One and Channel Two – no Octocon registration required.
    If you want to submit questions during the panel or interview, you will need a Twitch account.
  • Workshops (50 or 80 minutes): Live on Zoom. Sign-up required. Check your email or Discord channel #schedule for details of how to sign up.
    Find out more.
  • Talks (50 minutes): Live on Zoom. Check Discord channel #schedule for the Zoom link.
  • Fan chats (50 minutes): Live on Zoom. Check Discord channel #schedule for the Zoom link.
  • Guest chats (50 minutes): Live on Zoom. Sign-up required. Check your email or Discord channel #schedule for details of how to sign up.
  • Readings (25 minutes): Live on Zoom. Check Discord channel #schedule for the Zoom link.
  • Games (2-3 hours): Live on our Discord server. Sign-up required. Check your email or Discord channel #schedule for details of how to sign up.
    Find out more.
Octo is getting ready to enjoy Octocon on all their devices
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Glasgow in 2024 Book Club

This year’s Octocon book club will be hosted by the Glasgow in 2024 Worldcon bid.

Up for discussion is the novella This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Join the chat on Sunday afternoon (time to be confirmed).

Glasgow in 2024 background and logo, Octo and Octocon logo, cover of the book This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Best described as an epic time-travelling love story, This Is How You Lose the Time War has the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella, the Reddit Stabby Award for Best Novella, and The British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novella.

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading.

Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?

Get it everywhere you get good books! (And if they don’t have it, order it!)

You can also chat to the Glasgow in 2024 bid during Octocon at their Discord fan table.

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Calling fan organisations and conventions

Whether you’re a space navy or a writers or crafters’ group or another SF convention, we’d love to have you with us at Octocon.

Our virtual fan tables are text-based channels on our Discord server, where you can post information about your organisation or convention, and talk in real time to Octocon attendees.

We also offer the option of a voice channel, and if you’re interested in hosting a Zoom party or get-together during Octocon, we can help you with that too!

And best of it, it’s completely free! (Although you will need to register for Octocon – again, completely free!)

Apply for a fan table

Octo can help with all your fan table tech needs
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Join us in 2021

Octocon 2021 is once again online and you can watch our panels on Twitch and attend other programme items via Discord and Zoom, all for free.

To access anything other than our Twitch stream, you will need to register (for free). When registering, you can optionally give separate donations:

  • to Octocon, to help us cover our costs
  • to our 2021 charity partner BeLonG To

You’ll also be able to donate during the convention if you just want to register at the moment.

REGISTER NOW

Octo holding a programme booklet and convention badge
Octo is looking forward to the 2021 convention

If you have ideas about what should be on the Octocon 2021 programme or you’re interested in taking part, get in touch!
Going online again this year creates lots of new opportunities and we’re especially interested in hearing from people who may never have attended an Octocon before.
Contact us via Google Form (preferred) or email.

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Octocon goes virtual again for 2021

Octo holding various devices with a caption of Octocon is going virtual again!

A message from our chair:

The committee and I had very much hoped that we would be able to host an in-person convention this year. Unfortunately government guidelines and ongoing restrictions on numbers at large gatherings make it impossible for us to plan an event at our chosen venue this year, and we have decided to go virtual once more for 2021.

Octocon 2021 will take place from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October 2021, using much of the same technology as our successful 2020 convention. We’re already in the middle of planning some exciting new programming for you!

If you have a membership for 2021, you should have received an email from us already. As with last year, your membership will be automatically rolled over to our next physical convention in 2022 – effectively giving you the early bird rate! 

However, you are very welcome to request a refund for your membership – please contact members@octocon.com. We aim to process refunds within two weeks. Please note there will be a cut-off date for refunds but it will be closer to the convention and we will give you ample notice.

Keep an eye on our social media and website for more information.

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Octocon will be back in 2021

Although we can’t yet confirm our date or venue for Octocon 2021, we can confirm that it will take place in October and hopefully in a physical location!

Our Guests of Honour will once again be Michael Carroll, Helen Ryder and Philippa Ryder, as it seems only fair to make sure we get to celebrate them in person as well as during our online Octocon 2020.

Supporting memberships are available and cost €20. These can be upgraded at a later date to attending/concession rates as appropriate.

If you had a membership for Octocon 2020, you are already automatically a member of Octocon 2021 (unless you requested a refund). Check your membership.

Octo
Octo can’t wait to see everyone all next year!