Meet Your Heroes
There will be characters from Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, Predators, Jurassic Park, Movie Princesses and more, as well as your favourite Comic Book and Movie Superheroes, plus Show Cars from TV and film!
You can see amazing live performances from some supremely talented local musicians.
There will also be a number of fun competitions you can take part in with a great selection of prizes to be won!
From Fenwick to Ace Comics, Lion Walk and Culver Square, all of this is organised to encourage our fabulous supporters to give some money to our charities...
St Helena Hospice, Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity, and Mind (Mid & North East Essex)
...who provide essential services to the community.
Come and join in the fun!
What's On...
Characters from across sci-fi, fantasy & comics
Famous cars from TV and film
Special guests from comics, film & TV
Live music and entertainment
Competitions, activities and interactive displays
Charity fundraising across the day
ACE Comics
Culver Street East
Look out for... TV, film & fantasy favourites — plus the famous tombola.
Colchester Market
High Street
Look out for... A street full of familiar faces from TV & film.
Culver Square Shopping Centre
Culver Square
Look out for... Ghostbusters HQ — big displays & Ectomobiles — plus Dinosaurs, Movie Princesses, Props Dept display, Lightning McQueen, Show Cars, stalls, the St Helena Hospice team, and the Fancy Dress Competition.
Dragonfly Lounge
Long Wyre Street
Look out for... a packed programme of family-friendly entertainment at the Dragonfly Lounge, featuring creative workshops, comic quizzes, Dungeons & Dragons, spectacular drag performances and the official Invasion Colchester After Party. Details here.
Fenwick
High Street
Look out for... Invasion Colchester fun with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the Mind (Mid & North East Essex) team.
Lion Walk Shopping Centre
Lion Walk
Look out for... Our Special Guests, Comic Characters & Super Heroes (including Deadpool), the Batmobile, Doctor Who TARDIS, Steampunk, DJ Fettdog, live music, Fragers Arcade Alley, and the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity team.
Outside Baptist Church
Lion Walk
Look out for... live wrestling matches from School of Slam Wrestling — times to follow.
MP Galleries
Sir Isaac's Walk
Look out for... Rob Bishop exhibition & artist appearance — plus more characters.
Other Monkey Brewing
St Nicholas Street
Look out for... this year's surprise Invasion Colchester ale - to be revealed in a one-off event beer pouring at The Taproom, with limited cans to take home. A portion of proceeds supports Invasion Colchester.
St Nicholas Square
Off High Street
Look out for... Star Wars Central starring Stormtroopers, Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians & more, plus Star Cars — marvellous machines from TV & film.
Trinity Street
Look out for... Baka Itasha, the UK's first Itasha group, bringing a spectacular display of anime, manga, gaming and VTuber-themed vibrant custom cars to Invasion Colchester, combining a love of Japanese pop culture with automotive creativity.
War Memorial
High Street
Look out for... Coasters Scooter Club — plenty of gear on display, plus music.
Scroll down for more details...
Show Cars
Batmobiles. Transformers. Ecto-1. Mr Bean’s Mini. The A-Team van. Trotters Independent Traders' Reliant Robin. Screen-famous wheels roll into Colchester every year—and this year’s lineup is just as epic.
Find them in St Nicholas Square, Culver Square and outside Fenwick on Saturday 5 September. Get close, grab a selfie, meet the icons!
Plus at the War Memorial: Coasters Scooter Club — featuring plenty of gear on display, and music.
Live Music & Entertainment
Live music will once again be part of the Invasion Colchester experience, bringing extra atmosphere to the city centre throughout the day. We're currently putting together another fantastic line-up of talented local performers, with details to be announced soon.
Expect a mix of live music, great entertainment and plenty of opportunities to stop, relax and soak up the atmosphere between meeting characters, exploring attractions and visiting our special guests.
We'll reveal this year's performers, performance times and locations as soon as they're confirmed, so be sure to check back for updates in the lead-up to the event.
Fancy Dress Competition
Love dressing up? If you're planning to arrive in costume, why not enter the Invasion Colchester Fancy Dress Competition? Join us in Culver Square Shopping Centre on Saturday 5 September and show off your creativity!
Age Categories
This year there are four competition categories: 4 and under, 5–8 years, 9–18 years and 18+, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes awarded in each.
How to Enter
Simply come along in your favourite costume—whether it's homemade or shop-bought—and make your way to the judging area in Culver Square shortly before your category is due to begin.
On the Day
The competition area will be roped off. Only entrants should enter the judging area, although parents of very young children are welcome to accompany them if needed.
Winners will be announced after each category, with prizes presented before everyone comes together for a fantastic group photo.
Whether you're a superhero, wizard, princess, monster or something completely original, we'd love to see you there. Good luck!
| Competition Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Age Category | Judging Time |
| 4 and under | 11.00am |
| 5–8 years | 12.30pm |
| 9–18 years | 2.00pm |
| 18+ | 3.00pm |
Prize Draw
Step right up for the Invasion Colchester 2026 Prize Draw — your chance to bag some truly fantastic rewards! With every ticket you buy, you’re not only in the running for one of the brilliant prizes below — you’re also helping to raise vital funds for St Helena Hospice.
Take a look at what’s up for grabs!
- £200 Voucher Donated by Culver Square Shopping Centre
- £100 Cash Donated by Lion Walk Shopping
- £50 Fenwick Voucher Donated by Fenwick
- 4x The Wizard of Oz Tickets Donated by Colchester Events
- Subbuteo Table Donated by St Helena Hospice
- Roast Dinner for Two Donated by The Geroge Hotel
- Wooden Fender Voucher Donated by The Wooden Fender
- Other Monkey Brewing Voucher Donated by Other Monkey Brewing
- Curzon Colchester Tickets Donated by Curzon Colchester
- Cineworld Ipswich Tickets Donated by Cineworld Ipswich
- Family Castle Museum Tickets Donated by Colchester Castle
And that’s not all… more prizes may be announced as we get closer to the big day, so keep your eyes peeled!
Tickets are available from ACE Comics in Colchester, or from our friendly volunteers during the event.
Every single penny raised goes directly to St Helena Hospice — so every ticket really does make a difference.
The draw will take place on Friday, 25 September 2026 at ACE Comics. Winning ticket numbers will be published at invasioncolchester.co.uk/prize-draw after the draw.
Gallery
Relive the magic of Invasion Colchester through hundreds of photos from previous events. From Stormtroopers and superheroes to show cars, special guests and unforgettable moments, take a look back at some of our favourite memories.
View the Gallery
Park & Ride
Dress up. Ride free.
Heading to Invasion Colchester in costume? Your Colchester Park & Ride fare is on us.*
Regular fares are shown.
* Free travel applies on the event day for passengers in clear costume or fancy dress; usual Park & Ride terms apply.| Colchester Park & Ride | |
|---|---|
| Adult | £3.20 |
| Child aged 5–16 | £1.10 |
| Group (2 Adults, up to 3 children, arriving in same car) | £5.40 |
| Student (ID required) | £2.00 |
| Concessionary (Blue Pass) | £1.70 |
| Park & Ride will be operating from 5.30am–9.30pm | |
Get in Touch
Want to join the cast, volunteer on the day, pitch a fundraising idea, or just ask a question? Use the form below and we’ll get back to you.
