Adult Swim on the Green Returns: The Ultimate Badge-Free Party Hitting San Diego Comic-Con 2026

San Diego Comic-Con is known for its legendary, jam-packed panel schedule inside the convention center, but some of the biggest fan events happen right outside the building. This year, Adult Swim is officially returning to reclaim its throne on the lawn, transforming Bayfront Park into a free fan festival.

Running from Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26, Adult Swim on the Green brings back its signature blend of games, carnival rides, exclusive giveaways, and high-energy dance parties. The best part? No Comic-Con badge is required. The entire park experience is completely open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, making it one of the most accessible and highly anticipated offsite activations of the weekend.

Perks for the Early Birds

If you plan on checking out the festival, it pays to show up early. Adult Swim has announced that the first 700 fans to enter the festival grounds each day will receive a special package of exclusive, limited-edition prizes.

The daytime portion of the event runs from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a shorter Sunday session from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Nighttime Lineup: Screenings, Table Reads, and Dance Parties

While daytime offers plenty of games and photo-ops, the atmosphere transforms completely once the sun goes down. From 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each night, the festival switches into an adults-only space (18+) with a curated nightly programming schedule:

• Thursday, July 23: Night of New — Kick off the weekend with a special evening dedicated to what’s next. Fans will get a front-row seat to an exclusive content screening featuring sneak peeks at Adult Swim’s upcoming animation slate.

• Friday, July 24: Live Table Reads — Dive deep into the multiverse with live table reads featuring Rick and Morty’s memorable President Curtis (voiced by Keith David).

• Saturday, July 25: “Adult Swim Through the Years” — A nostalgic celebration of the network’s historic lineup. This night features a full-blown cosplay dance party alongside a live animation set by Afuchs Twin.

To cap everything off, every single night concludes with a high-energy DJ dance party from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., ensuring the energy stays up until the park closes. Whether you have a badge for the convention floor or are just looking to soak in the SDCC atmosphere, Bayfront Park is shaping up to be the place to be.

Adult Swim is officially turning up the volume for San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The network has unveiled its complete convention lineup, combining highly anticipated, back-to-back panel blocks with the return of its famous badge-free playground, Adult Swim on the Green.

With an emphasis on interactive chaos and star-studded panels, the network is setting up Bayfront Park (located at 5th Avenue Landing and Convention Way) as the premier destination of the weekend. The festival runs Thursday, July 23 through Saturday, July 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with a final Sunday block on July 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Take a Spin on the “RAMbler”

The undisputed centerpiece of this year’s outdoor activation is the RAMbler—a custom Rick and Morty-themed twist on the classic Scrambler carnival ride. Housed inside a massive custom dome, fans will enter the ride through a towering 26-foot-tall Rick Sanchez head. Once inside, they will be spun through a sensory onslaught of original animation, music, and immersive special effects designed to simulate crashing through the multiverse.

Beyond the RAMbler, the green will be packed with a series of interactive, custom-built experiences honoring Adult Swim’s current and upcoming favorites:

• The Common Side Effects Marshall Fountain: An eight-foot-tall centerpiece celebrating the highly anticipated sophomore season of the drug-conspiracy comedy.

• The Campbell Boys’ Ha Ha, You Clowns Mini-Golf: A hilariously absurd, hot-tub-adjacent mini-golf challenge.

• The President Curtis Slingshot: A skill game where fans can sling creatures from the upcoming Rick and Morty spin-off series.

• The Smiling Friends Mr. Boss Attraction: A larger-than-life climbing structure dedicated to the Emmy-nominated hit.

The daytime festivities are open to fans of all ages, but once 7:15 p.m. hits, the park transitions to an 18+ crowd for nightly programming. Thursday features a Night of New screening block, Friday boasts a live table read with the voice cast of Rick and Morty, and Saturday hosts an Adult Swim Through the Years cosplay dance party featuring a live animated visual set by Afuchs Twin. Each night wraps up with a free DJ dance party from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Friday’s Indigo Ballroom Takeover

For those with convention passes, Friday, July 24 is entirely dominated by Adult Swim. The network is taking over the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront for four straight hours of panels, breaking down the futures of its most celebrated properties.

With a jam-packed schedule both inside and outside the convention center, Adult Swim is delivering the ultimate fan-first weekend.