Two legends join the guests of Pyrkon 2026: Giancarlo Esposito, an actor known, among others, for Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul in the role of Gustavo Fring, and Eileen Collins, a NASA pioneer and the first woman commander of a space mission. The convention will take place between 19-21 June in Poznań.
Giancarlo Esposito, an icon of world cinema, actor, director and producer with a unique screen charisma, joins the guests of the Pyrkon Fan Convention. Born in Copenhagen, the artist will appear in the Film and TV Series Zone to meet his fans and talk to them about the ins and outs of his impressive career. He gained his worldwide recognition thanks to the iconic role of Gustavo "Gus" Fring in the series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, for which he received the Critics’ Choice Award and numerous Emmy nominations. Fantasy fans also know him as the ruthless Moff Gideon from The Mandalorian, and viewers of The Boys — as Stanford Edgar. His voice is easily recognized by lovers of animation and games, including Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Far Cry 6.
mong the most important guests of Pyrkon 2026, we will also be hosting Colonel Eileen Collins — a legendary NASA astronaut and space exploration pioneer. Collins went down in history as the first female pilot of an American spacecraft and the first female commander of a NASA mission. During her career, she spent a total of 872 hours in space, commanding, among others, the historic Return to Flight mission of the Discovery space shuttle — NASA's first manned flight after the Columbia disaster.
In the Science Zone, Eileen Collins will talk about her journey from the United States Air Force to NASA, leadership in extreme conditions, the importance of teamwork, and perseverance in breaking down barriers. Her autobiography "Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars" became the basis of the documentary entitled "Spacewoman", and Collins herself remains one of the most inspiring figures of modern science and technology.
From year to year, the Pyrkon music program is growing and in the last edition, over 30 concerts were held on 3 stages. During the upcoming edition, Floor Jansen — one of the most recognizable vocalists of the world's metal scene, known primarily as the frontwoman of Nightwish- will be one of the performers. Her powerful and at the same time extremely emotional voice has been delighting audiences around the world for years.
nother star of the Pyrkon music scene will be the band SKÁLD — a French formation drawing on Norse mythology and the tradition of ancient scalds. The group performs songs in northern languages, such as Old Norse, Icelandic or Norwegian, transporting the audience into the world of sagas, gods and legends. Their concert is not a reconstruction of history, but an intense, contemporary musical experience rooted in myths.
The organizers of the convention have also already revealed that in June the Twilight Force Band will also perform at the convention. They are a symphonic power metal formation known for its epic, energetic compositions inspired by fantasy and mythology. Their music combines fast, melodic riffs with orchestral arrangements, creating a spectacular concert experience for fantasy and metal fans.
Pyrkon 2026 will take place between 19-21 June at the Poznań International Fair. Among the guests announced so far are the best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater (author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and the Raven King series), the creator of epic fantasy John Gwynne (author of The Faithful and the Fallen and Bloodsworn Saga, inspired by Nordic mythology), actor Andrew Wincott (known, among others, for the BAFTA-winning role of Raphael in Baldur's Gate 3) and co-founder of Cubicle 7 Dominic McDowall (creator of role-playing games set in the Warhammer, Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who universes).
More information about the event and tickets for the event (one-day and three-day passes) are available at www.pyrkon.pl
