On a particularly busy weekend in la nevera, SOFA 2026 is the place to be for all things ñoño. It’s under a roof too, which may be a major boon with this weather.
Every día de la raza weekend in Bogotá is now given over to all things ñoño, with the Salón de Ocio y FAntasia taking place. SOFA 2026 is set to be yet another rip-roaring success with tens of thousands of geeks, nerds and ñoños descending on Corferías to delve into the diversionary delights therein.
While the name references fantasy and free time, focusing on the hobby world, it’s worth remembering that there are important knock-on effects for Colombia. The country has an impressive record in robotics teaching and study, part of which is fuelled and encouraged by events like SOFA 2026. It’s also a safe space for new visitors who are interested in exploring new or old hobbies and offers many people in the concrete jungle the chance to experience new things.
If there’s a pastime that you haven’t yet found in Colombia or aren’t sure exists, this is the place to start looking. It’s a riot of possibilities, running the gamut from medieval song and dance to unicycling or model car racing. Most of this is powered by love of the game, with true aficionados seeking to promote profoundly personal passion projects.
The commercial side of SOFA 2026 is something to behold too, with hundreds of stalls selling everything under the sun, including many things that are hard to find in regular shops. If you want a katana-shaped umbrella or a quaffing horn, you’ll find it here. The organisers do a good job every year of holding this in check – there’s plenty of ways to empty your wallet on fun stuff, but it never feels like a cynical cash grab opportunity.
There’s plenty of food available, but the crowds and queues over the weekend will be intense, so we recommend taking a water bottle along with an umbrella or waterproof. Buy tickets online first, otherwise you could well lose an hour at the door. It’s pet-friendly (my dogs love it) but bear in mind there will be large crowds until sundown Sat-Mon.
What to look out for at SOFA 2026
SOFA 2026 should feature a wide range of diversion, featuring among others, computer gaming, board gaming, comics, art, model cars, medieval things, clowning, soft play, rubic’s cubes, roleplayers and card collectors. This isn’t a complete list: go here for that.
Pendragon Medieval will have a little mediaeval village set up at pabellón 22 towards the back. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to quaff mead (bring your own horn if you can) or loose an arrow from a bow, this is the place to find out. The videogaming section just before them will be deafeningly loud and the perfect place to try out games you’re looking forward to and/or hardware you’ve thought about using.
For a quieter type of gaming, try the boardgame and roleplay area at the top of pabellón 1. You’ll find all kinds of groups running sessions and welcoming hosts happy to bring you into a game and explain how it works. Both types of games are very popular in the city and have inclusive and friendly representatives ready to answer all questions.
Radio control cars will be found racing around giant tracks and you’ll find whole cities’ worth of lego on display. Elsewhere, expect art in abundance and collections of various types of models. There will be Rubik’s Cube communities and East Asian stands doing calligraphy if you’ve ever wanted your name in katakana.
There are commercial stands at the bottom of pabellónes 3, 6 and 8 with an immense selection of stuff. Most of this is very repetitive, with a thousand places to buy Potter wands or Akatsuki cloaks. However, seek and you shall find: there’s some genuinely interesting stands here and there most years.
There will be plenty of possibilities to pick up Marvel and DC comics, as well as other foreign publications. More interestingly, there will also be a large section for local comic producers, both artists and retailers. These often reflect local issues and give you the chance to meet and support the creators directly.
And of course, at every turn there will be cosplay hordes dressed up as everyone under the sun with pabellón 8 hosting the catwalk. Most are happy to be photographed, but do ask first as common courtesy. It’s hard to know who’s going to be the big figure this year – the Odyssey was huge but isn’t the most cosplay-friendly. Perhaps it’s Telemachus’ turn in his alter ego as Spiderman AKA Tom Holland (not that one).
SOFA 2026 takes place from Thursday 8th to Monday 12th October at Corferías, Carrera 37 #24-67. Buy tickets online from the website or face BIG queues. COP$27-34,000 depending on day, COP$128,000 for a full event pass covering all five days.
