Field Report: TFNation 2026

Thursday, 30 July: The train to Birmingham was really busy and for the entire journey, my heart was in my throat with excitement. Even with noise-cancelling headphones, I could still hear my heartbeat. As someone approaching fifty, you would think not much would surprise or excite me. The TFNation convention is one thing that can still brighten me up. As nervous as I always am before a big event, I knew that I’d soon be with friends and fellow attendees who would be feeling the same. There would soon be bright lights all around me.

No sooner had I arrived at Birmingham International, I bumped into a good friend from Australia. Not only that, they’d brought with them a TFNation first-timer! Bearing in mind how long TFNation has been going, I am always so happy to see new faces embarking on their first convention. Despite being in the middle of a heatwave, it rained heavily on the walk from the NEC to the Hilton Metropole.

As soon as I reached the bar area, I was greeted by several good friends. The rain evaporated instantly. Considering it was mid-afternoon, the bar area was already busy. More people arrived over the course of the afternoon, excitedly dashing over to people they hadn’t seen since the last convention, embracing them, making sure they were ok. Life happens in the gaps between conventions, but we put it to the side as the warmth of our friends envelopes us. Our collective light was getting brighter already.

In previous years, Thursdays were usually quiet and subdued. But this year, it felt like the way Fridays used to do. The vibe in the bar was a testament to how popular TFNation has become over the last ten years. The level of excited chatter rose as people mingled, caught up with old friends, and made new ones.

Once the evening came, various groups made their way to Resorts World to grab some dinner. Our little group decided on Five Guys and spent the next hour catching up and marvelling at how many extra chips we got. (It was a lot of chips.) Since I was staying at the Genting hotel inside Resorts World, I took the opportunity to check in and drop off my luggage.

When we returned to the Hilton bar, it was thrumming with excitement. Transformers were already out on the tables and the drinks were flowing. I took a moment to take it all in. Friendships were blooming. The night went on. More people appeared, having braved the post-work traffic on roads and railways. Despite enjoying the rush of reconnection with friends, I made sure to not be up too late. It’s important to pace yourself, especially on the first night. Thankfully, there was no more rain and so the walk back to my hotel was dry. I know many people prefer to stay at the Hilton itself, but with this being my second year at the Genting, I think I prefer the physical separation between the event and the accommodation. It gives me the chance to decompress and get some steps in.

Friday, 31 July: I had very nice, leisurely breakfast at the Genting. The weather was sunny and warm. My table overlooked the lake, with a good view of the Hilton. I was picturing everyone having their breakfast while I tucked into mine. It was a nice moment of calm before what would surely be a hectic day ahead.

When I got to the Hilton, a large queue had formed for registration. I headed for the bar to chat with friends, rather than join it. I also had a couple of items to donate to Toy-Fu: sealed Missing Link Delta Magnus and Grimlock. 

After joining a now much shorter queue and getting my wristbands, I once more made my way to the bar. The entire day was spent in the company of friends, chatting about — this might shock you — Transformers. By this time, I was also handing out postcards to promote my fanzine.

I was very humbled to hear so many complimentary things about my work on The TFUK Guide and the Universe ‘zine over the weekend. I relished the chance to bounce a few ideas of people, as well!

Throughout the weekend I was very grateful to receive some lovely gifts from various people, from badges, to fanzines, to postcards, and Transformers toys. You know who you are, and I thank you!

It’s easy to get caught up in conversations, so I missed lunch altogether. A couple of us went over to Karaage for an early dinner. I ordered a mint tea and it came in the biggest teapot I’d ever seen! Still, it’s important to stay hydrated at a Transformers convention!

We must have stayed at our table for a full two hours, but we had such wonderful conversations that time flew by.

Back at the Hilton bar, and with Friday’s programme of panels finished for the day, the evening was in full swing! The bar was as busy as I’d ever seen it. There were a lot more people than the previous night. There was more energy, more enthusiasm. Compared to Thursday night, our collective lights were brighter still.

To be honest, Friday night was a blur. I can’t remember many details, but I do remember smiling and laughing uncontrollably for a lot of the time. I made my way back to my hotel at around 1AM, still smiling.

Saturday, 1 August: The big day was finally here! As fun as the last two days had been it was just preamble to the main event. After another relaxing breakfast and plenty of coffee, I walked over to the Hilton. The early entry part of the morning had already been and gone and so by the time I’d arrived, many of my friends had already done their Transformers shopping!

One particularly lovely aspect of TFNation, for me, is the breadth and diversity of attendees and age-groups. And this translates to all kinds of “generations” of Transformers toys being bought in the dealer hall. If you can imagine any Transformer, from any range, it’ll be somewhere in that hall. It was great to see such a variety of Transformers being shown in the bar throughout the rest of the day. From the original toys, to Beast Wars, to Armada, to Prime, to the Movie, and beyond, there was something for everyone. I love seeing the joy any Transformers toy from any generation brings to collectors. Even if it’s outside my area of collecting, I always appreciate the chance to see — and have a go with — Transformers I wouldn’t otherwise get to look at.

At around 11AM, I ventured into the main dealer hall hoping it would be quieter by now. Reader, it was not. I decided I would come back in about an hour. When I did return, it was still just as busy. I made a lap around all the dealer tables. It was far too busy to get close. Toy-Fu, as always, was impenetrable. I have nothing but the utmost admiration for the team at Toy-Fu. They were serving customers and answering questions like heroic hummingbirds.

On my second lap, my keen eye for 1990’s G1 spotted a couple of Takara Road/Jet Corps two-packs. I asked to have a look at them out of their boxes and before I knew it I had bought them! I got Mach Road Vs Flare Jet and Checker Road Vs Moon Jet. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they are the Takara versions of the Turbomasters Boss and Hurricane, and the Predators Snare and Talon. And if you’re not familiar with the Turbomasters and Predators then, I’m sorry, but we can’t be friends.

I also picked up the TMUK “Target: 2026” ‘zine, War Stories, and Team Thunderclash’s “The Hunt for Hyperdrive”. On the subject of Hyperdrive, I was lucky enough to get a close look at the amazing custom Hyperdrive toy made by Shins of the Wreckers.

I was extremely pleased with my purchases since they are in much better condition that ones I owned. It’s always good to find an upgrade to one or more of your favourite Transformers!

It was time for some lunch by this point. A group of us headed over to Resorts World. Nando’s was too busy, so we opted for Pizza Express. Most of our group had been up since 6AM to join the early entry queue — some even skipping breakfast — so these poor troopers needed something to eat, and fast!

After lunch, there was just time for one more lap around the dealer hall. It was still really busy and the queues for some of the more popular guests were as lengthy as ever. I didn’t see anything else that caught my attention, but I was more than happy with what I’d bought that morning. The forge tables were busy, too. I promised myself I’d go round them tomorrow.

The afternoon was spent in the bar, and the excitement for the upcoming Vince DiCola concert was building. I had already decided to skip the Club Con activities in advance, knowing I’d need my energy reserved for the concert. I heard that it was excellent from other people, however, especially the script reading.

While it was relatively quiet in the bar, we ordered something to eat. I don’t care what anyone says, you simply cannot dance to “The Death of Optimus Prime” on an empty stomach.

When the time came, our group joined the queue. It wasn’t long before we were seated and ready. I didn’t really know what to expect, to be honest. But I was carried along by everyone’s excitement. The score to The Transformers: The Movie is my favourite aspect of the film. Over the last 40 years, it’s been imprinted onto my brain, chord by chord. I have it on CD and often listen to it while I’m working. I had to take a moment to appreciate that, after all this time, I was about to see the score’s composer perform some of it live right in front of me. My 9 year-old self would never have believed it!

When Vince started playing, the entire room erupted as one with a roaring cheer that almost drowned him out. The hairs on my arms were standing on end and I was glowing with joy. Everyone else was, too. Vince played a suite of music from the Movie and an extended version of “The Death of Optimus Prime”. I always get emotional with live music, and this was no exception. Vince was joined on stage by vocalist, Jadel. At the close of the concert, Jadel’s rendition of “Dare” was phenomenal. Both performers were legendary for every single second they were on stage. As an audience, our lights were brighter than ever.

The Vince DiCola concert was my personal highlight of TFNation 2026. It was a joy to watch Vince perform while sitting with such good friends, and being surrounded by scores of other fans. The vibe was one of pure happiness, heightened by feelings that only live music can bring. I can’t imagine the work that went into setting it up — the staging, the lighting, the sound itself. I am truly, constantly amazed at the things the TFNation team pull off year after year.

The concert was all we could talk about on the way back to the bar, and for the next couple of hours as well. The atmosphere in the bar was Thursday and Friday, combined, and multiplied by several orders of magnitude. Everything just seemed to gel. I’ve never had so many simultaneous conversations at one time. And I was averaging about 2-3 hugs per minute at one point.

A lot of attendees can only manage to come on one day, and so Saturdays always see a surge of participation. It’s always wonderful to catch up with people who are there for just Saturday, but it goes by so quickly, too! It’s intense, and practically impossible to see and say hello to everyone in such a short space of time. It’s almost like speed dating.

I always treasure the time I spend with friends, however fleeting it always ends up being.

By this time on Saturday night my voice usually gives up and my stomach is sore from laughing so much. Also, my ribs start aching from so many hugs.

When it hit 1AM, I knew it was time to head back to my hotel. As I made my way through the dark I realised I was still wearing the glow stick necklace I’d put on at the concert. Fortunately, I wasn’t mistaken for a landing light from the nearby airport. With or without the glow stick, I was still shining bright from such an outstanding evening.

A very well-dressed young man joined me in the hotel lift only to tell me he’d lost £900 in the casino. With my voice gone, I could only croak back at him. £900? Mate, you should see the amount of money that was changing hands at the Transformers convention I went to today!

Sunday, 2 August: At breakfast, I drank so much coffee that the hotel named the machine after me. By the time I’d walked over to the Hilton for the final day of the convention, I was bleary-eyed and broken.

The dealer hall was a lot more manageable this time. It was lovely to see and chat to people who had just come for the Sunday. I handed out more postcards. 

In a moment of unbelievably good timing, we were passing one of the guest tables while Vince DiCola was talking to Simon Furman. My friend seized the opportunity to ask Vince for a selfie. Ever the gentleman, Vince happily obliged! I was so grateful to have the chance to thank him for last night’s concert and how much his Transformers score meant to me over the last 40 years. It was an unforgettable moment.

My one purchase of the day was the S.T.A.R.S. cardboard base set and membership card. I was over the moon to have found one! The set — which had to be sent away for along with some Robot Points back in 1987 — had been a huge part of my childhood. It doubled as the inside of The Ark for the handful of Autobots I had in my collection. I was so happy to find one again.

After such a triumphant final lap around the dealer hall, I made my way back to the bar area. Regular doses of caffeine helped me through the rest of the day. It was lovely to chill out with friends and go through what we’d bought over the weekend. 

The time to head off to get my train home was soon approaching. By 4PM, I was saying my emotional goodbyes. It just didn’t feel fair that it was still Thursday afternoon in my head and already it was time to be going home. Where had the weekend gone.

The walk back through the NEC to the train station seemed to take forever. A lot of my friends were staying until Monday, and I felt I was battling against an invisible tether that didn’t want to release me. I was missing them already.

I cannot articulate how much I cherish the friendships I have made over the years thanks to TFNation. I’ve been deliberate in not mentioning any names but I am sure, unreservedly, that you know who you are. I am hugely thankful that I can be completely myself with you.

To the entire TFNation staff, crew, guests, and volunteers; to everyone who said hello; and to my dear friends: thank you for a much needed and truly unforgettable weekend.

I sat on the train, exhausted and blinking away a few tears. As the train pulled away, I felt the pull of that tether again. It snapped, and a wave of gratitude flowed through me. Although exhausted, I was still shining, bright with love and friendship.

If every attendee felt as bright as I did throughout the weekend, I have no doubt that you would be able to see TFNation from space.