Wintergeddon Returns To Auckland With Celebrities, Gaming, Cosplay And The Debut Of CARmageddon

Armageddon Expo | May 31 – June 2, 2025 | Auckland Showgrounds

The ultimate celebration of fandom is back! 

Armageddon Expo's Wintergeddon storms into the Auckland Showgrounds this King’s Birthday Weekend, May 31 to June 2, delivering three action-packed days of gaming, cosplay, collectibles, pop culture panels, and unforgettable celebrity encounters – plus a Stranger Things exhibit and the world’s-first appearance of Armageddon super-car, CARmageddon.

Top Talent 

As always, Wintergeddon 2025 brings a stellar line-up of screen and voice talent from the worlds of TV, film, and gaming.

The guest roster is led by Ioan Gruffudd, who captivated global audiences as the intelligent and elastic Reed Richards in Fantastic Four, and earned critical acclaim for his powerful portrayal of the seafaring hero in the classic British series Horatio Hornblower.

Renee O’Connor is well-known in New Zealand and throughout the world as an icon of 90s fantasy television as Gabrielle, the spirited warrior-poet and loyal companion to Xena in the globally adored series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Kim Rhodes brought heart and humour to the role of Sheriff Jody Mills in Supernatural, becoming a fan-favourite across the show’s 15 seasons, and is equally beloved for her role as the quirky yet grounded mum Carey in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

And, Jeff Ward electrified audiences as the unpredictable and hilarious Buggy the Clown in Netflix’s live-action One Piece, and earned sci-fi street cred as the inventive and lovable Deke Shaw in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The full talent lineup includes:

• Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, Forever, Horatio Hornblower)
• Renee O’Connor (Xena: Warrior Princess)
• Jeff Ward (One Piece, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
• T.J. Thyne (Bones)
• Aime Donald (M3gan, Sweet Tooth)
• Kim Rhodes (Supernatural, Suite Life of Zack and Cody)
• Neil Fanning (voice of Scooby-Doo)
• Nadji Jeter (voice of Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man games, Sam in The Last of Us)
• Natalie Van Sistine (SPY x Family, Attack on Titan)
• Reagan Murdock (Chainsaw Man, One Piece)
• Jason Douglas (Dragon Ball, Borderlands, The Walking Dead)
• Pete Capella (voice of Silver the Hedgehog)

Cosplay Heroes

Cosplay is an essential feature of the Armageddon Expo experience, and this year Cosplay royalty will be in attendance, with international stars Alyson Tabbitha, Rachel Maksy, Vera Chimera, and Ridd1e set to appear.

Alyson Tabbitha, known for her transformations into characters like Wonder Woman, Jack Sparrow and Leeloo from The Fifth Element, brings highly detailed craftsmanship to every appearance. Rachel Maksy, a YouTube favourite and vintage cosplay icon, is celebrated for her creative crossovers and charming retro takes on pop culture classics. 

Vera Chimera, hailing from Australia, has earned global recognition for her intricately detailed Cosplay performances as characters from Borderlands, Overwatch, and Final Fantasy. And completing the lineup is Ridd1e, a Singapore-based cosplayer known for iconic portrayals of Marvel and anime characters. 

Together, these four international Cosplay guests will host panels, judge contests, and inspire fans with their costumes and creativity throughout the weekend.

Stranger Things

Marvel and Netflix costume designers Daniel Selon and Amy Parris, will also present an exclusive Stranger Things costume display, with actual garments from the hit Netflix show presented for fans throughout the long weekend.

New for 2025: CARmageddon!

Prepare to geek out over CARmageddon, a fully-drivable custom build inspired by legendary screen cars like the Batmobile and KITT. This one-of-a-kind 1975 Cadillac Eldorado has been transformed with a scissor-lift turret, missile launchers, voice warnings, smoke screen, working gadgets, and even a flux capacitor—making its world premiere exclusively at Wintergeddon.

Esports and More

This year the expo also features two massive esports tournaments (League of Legends and Marvel Rivals), a board gaming library presented by Catan, a Minecraft VR Zone, Airsoft shooting range, X-Shot battle arena, Spookers Horror Hall, Just Dance disco, and live performances by the Auckland Wind Orchestra.

Don’t miss cosplay parades, author panels, anime screenings, pinball machines, wargaming displays, D&D events by Questbook, and the ultimate pop culture shopping experience across Artist Alley and the retail floor.

Wintergeddon runs throughout the long weekend, Saturday: 9am to 6pm, Sunday: 9am to 5pm, Monday: 10am to 5pm at the Auckland Showgrounds. Tickets and full schedule available now at www.armageddonexpo.com.

About Armageddon Expo

Armageddon Expo is a New Zealand owned and operated pop culture convention that holds multiple events around New Zealand in cities including Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, Palmerston North and Christchurch. The event, run by Beyond Reality Media Premier Event Management, has been running continuously since 1995 and features an unmatched line-up of talent from screen, television and online, together with gaming, anime, cosplay and more.

See: https://www.armageddonexpo.com/

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