Imagine a place where Harry Potter meets K-pop stars, where knightly swords share space with the latest consoles and scientists give lectures to thousands of young people. That's exactly what Rikon is: the largest Croatian convention of fantasy, pop culture and gaming, which this year, over the course of three days, a record attracted over 6,000 visitors and turned the Exportdrva space into a beehive of creativity, knowledge and fun.
"Rikon is getting bigger every year, but seeing this amount of people this weekend was an exceptional experience. We carefully listen to the wishes of the audience and prepare the program months in advance, but this kind of response exceeded our expectations. We knew that Rikon had potential, but now we can say that we stand side by side with world festivals of this type." stands out Valentina Miskovic Yoe from the directorate of the event.
Three days of program and more than 80 points of content
Even three stages and it took place in numerous program areas more than 80 program points. From cosplay competitions, gaming tournaments and K-pop dance competitions, to scientific and popular lectures, comics and film programs, quizzes and various creative workshops.
This year, Rikon hosted i record number of exhibitors, more of them than 60, which further enriched the festival offer.
"The festival today includes more than 15 thematic categories, which shows how diverse an audience we gather. Regardless of the enviable level of production and the wealth of content, what makes Rikon special is the atmosphere, a unique sense of community and positive energy that can hardly be described in words," he adds. Marta Glažar, president of the Association 3. zmaj.
Special guests and unforgettable moments
The guest of honor was Shauna Harrison, a legend of film makeup, known for his work on franchises such as Harry Potter, Star Wars i Marvel movies. His workshops and panels attracted a lot of attention from the audience, and young creatives and cosplay artists had a unique opportunity to hear firsthand what it's like to work on the world's biggest productions.
The guest of honor stood out in the scientific program Ante Radonić whose lecture on returning to the moon filled the hall. For the scientific panel on the topic of new space research, in which Radonić and Diana Dominis Prester te Petar Jelača the audience showed exceptional interest. Lectures on science, artificial intelligence and mythology also attracted a younger audience, confirming the importance of non-formal education in Rikon's focus.
The tense atmosphere was also present in many places quizzes where visitors tested their knowledge of geek topics, and a record turnout was recorded on Saturday Anime quiz in which a higher place was sought.
Hits among the audience
Friday was traditionally marked by international events K-pop dance competition, which filled Exportdrvo and created the atmosphere of a real music and dance spectacle. They won the hearts of the audience Karlo Pešava (10 years old) with his solo performance, duo VI'olet from Slovenia and groups Se7en from Bjelovar.
Cosplay competition on Saturday it showed all the splendor of creativity and dedication of the participants. More than 20 competitors presented carefully crafted costumes and impressive stage performances. Imaginative interpretations of characters from popular series caused a standing ovation and showed how impressive cosplay is a combination of art, craft and performance. The international jury had the demanding task of choosing the best, while the audience additionally contributed to the atmosphere of the spectacle with their votes. In the novice league, the jury awarded Leon Cindrić (Lemix) as Tsukasa Tenma i Teu Bračun as Necromancer with the main prize, while the audience chose Eva Despinić (Sangre) as Subject Delta. In the advanced league, the jury awarded Mario Margalića (Groovy the Juju) like UF-84 Doubt Killer and the main prize Best in Show as well as the hearts of the audience he won Ian Remenar (Evian Cosplay) as Hiccup from a famous animated film How to train a dragon.
"What pleases us the most is the energy and communication between the contestants and the audience: that infectious, positive atmosphere that erupted this year at both the K-pop and Cosplay contests. These moments best show why Rikon is so special." he adds Valentina Miskovic Yoe.
Gaming zone she offered valuable prizes in competitions in popular titles League of Legends, Rocket League, Tekken 8 and premiered in FC26, while fans of board games enjoyed the large board game and TCG (trading card games) zones.
The jubilee of the 3rd zmaj association and the awarding of the Artifakt award
A special place in the program was also occupied by the literary award An artifact, which this year also awarded the best authors in the genre of fantasy, sci-fi and horror. This year they were awarded Danijel Bogdanović for a short story Shishkanomicon, Tanja Radman za Bonds of fate, Dario Šarec for the novel Separation te Morea Banićević for a children's novel The lost Mr. Kovač.
Rikon 2025 also had a special significance because the organizers from Associations 3rd dragon celebrated her 20th birthday, while the event itself took place 28th time in a row u Rijeci. INz ogromnu tortu, 20 svjećica i u zagrljaju volontera i članova, organizatorice su isfollowsle ovaj rekordni Recon i zahvalile se timu, izlagačthere is, sudionicthere is i posjetiteljthere is - uz poneku suzu radosnicu.
Rijeka as the epicenter of geek culture
In three days Exportwood was filled with energy, creativity and diversity. Visitors came from all over Croatia and from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Poland, and even the USA, confirming the international appeal of the event.
"Our team is small, but committed. During the week of preparation, there were more than 50 volunteers with us who gave up their time, helped the exhibitors and carried the festival together with us, from setting up the chairs to cleaning the hall. This year was especially challenging because we only had three months to prepare the event, which is normally planned for a year, and that's why this success is even sweeter." she added at the end Marta Glažar.
Thanks to the long-term commitment of the association and the support of the community, Rikon proves that it is a cult event in Croatia, becoming one of the the most important and most visited events on the subject of fantasy, popular culture and science in Europe.
