The 2026 Card Show Calendar: Every Major Show, City by City
The master 2026 card show calendar — NSCC, Collect-A-Con, Del Mar, East Bay, Music City, regional recurring shows, and how to plan your show year.
2026 is the biggest year for card shows in modern memory. The National returns to Rosemont with 600+ dealers and 500,000 square feet of floor. Collect-A-Con tours 17 cities. Regional shows are running monthly in nearly every major metro. This is the master calendar of the trading card show landscape in 2026 — what's happening, where, when, and which shows actually deserve a plane ticket vs. a quick local visit.
The National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC)
Dates: July 29 – August 2, 2026 (Wednesday – Sunday)
Location: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
Scale: 500,000 sq ft of floor, 600+ dealers, ~100,000 attendees
Why it matters: The largest, oldest, most important card show in North America. Every meaningful dealer, grader, and content creator in the hobby is there. If you only attend one show in 2026, this is the one.
The 46th annual edition. Tickets sell out monthly tiers in advance — VIP/early-entry passes routinely sell out months before the show. Plan flights and hotels by January for August attendance. We have a full biggest card shows guide that covers National strategy in depth.
Collect-A-Con — The Touring Mega-Show
2026 Tour Cities: 17+ cities across the year, 27+ dates
Format: 2-day weekend conventions, mix of trading cards, anime, pop culture
Why it matters: Brings National-scale energy to regional cities. Younger crowd, bigger Pokémon and TCG presence than NSCC, frequent celebrity guests.
Confirmed 2026 stops include Atlanta (February), Rosemont (April), Cleveland (May 9–10), Scottsdale (May 16–17), Orlando (May 23–24), Kansas City (June), Minneapolis (July 18), and many more across the back half of the year. Full live schedule at collectaconusa.com.
SD Card Show — Del Mar (San Diego)
Major 2026 Date: March 14–15, 2026 (the biggest SD show of the year)
Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA
Why it matters: Southern California's largest regional card show, with monthly smaller editions throughout the year.
Multiple smaller SD Card Show editions run monthly at Del Mar — including a recurring first-Sunday format (March 1, etc.). For deep coverage, see our Del Mar guide.
East Bay Card Show — Bay Area
2026 Dates: Multiple weekends — May 9–10 (TCG NOW), June 20–21 (East Bay), July 4–5 (TCG NOW), July 25–26 (Santa Clara), August 29–30 (Santa Clara), and continuing throughout the year
Location: Rotates between Bay Area venues
Why it matters: The dominant Bay Area regional, with both card-only and TCG-specific editions.
Full schedule at eastbaycardshow.com. Detailed regional walkthrough in our East Bay guide.
Music City Card Show — Nashville
2026 Dates: Multiple weekends across the year
Location: Nashville-area venues (Franklin, Antioch, Murfreesboro)
Why it matters: Nashville has emerged as one of the fastest-growing regional show scenes, with monthly autograph signings and TCG-focused weekends.
Full coverage in our Music City guide.
Toronto Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo — Spring & Fall
Spring 2026: Late April / Early May
Fall 2026: November
Location: The International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario
Why it matters: The largest Canadian card show, with strong vintage hockey representation.
Trading Card Con — Multi-City
2026 Tour: Chicago, Nashville, and additional cities
Format: Weekend-long mid-sized show with strong dealer concentration
Why it matters: Newer entrant in the touring show space, growing fast. Less crowded than Collect-A-Con but still a meaningful regional draw.
Regional Recurring Shows by Metro
Most major metros host monthly or biweekly card shows. Some of the most active 2026 scenes:
Oklahoma City: 405 Card Hall, OKC Sports Card & Memorabilia Show (recurring), GAS Greatest American Sports Card Show, OKC Collects, OKC Cards and More.
El Paso: Sun City Card Show (multiple editions May–November), 915 CardShowMania, 915 Card Show Coliseum.
Schaumburg / Chicago suburbs: Schaumburg Card Show (recurring), Aurora Fall Card Show.
Houston / Dallas-Fort Worth: Houston Card Show (Stafford), Dallas Card Show, Front Row Card Show.
Phoenix metro: State Farm Stadium Card Show, Front Row Glendale.
Buffalo / Philly / Tacoma: Multiple regional spring shows.
Browse our full events calendar to find shows near you, filtered by state and date.
How to Plan Your 2026 Show Year
Most active collectors hit 4–8 shows per year. A reasonable plan:
1 major (NSCC or Collect-A-Con flagship): Once a year. Plan flights and hotels 4+ months ahead.
2–3 large regionals: Del Mar, Music City, East Bay, or whatever's nearest. Drive distance.
4–6 monthly local recurring shows: Build relationships with local dealers and find consistent inventory.
Read our first show prep guide if you've never attended a major show before.
What to Bring
Standard show-attendance kit:
Cash. Most dealers prefer it; many offer 5–10% cash discounts.
Wantlist. Specific cards you're hunting, with target prices.
Magnifying loupe. Inspect cards before buying.
Penny sleeves and toploaders. Protect new purchases.
Phone with comp tools. eBay sold listings, TCGplayer market price.
Comfortable shoes. NSCC alone is 8+ hours of walking per day.
Browse our full card show calendar
Find every card show near you, filtered by state and date. Updated as new shows announce.