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Paranormal Expos in 2025 and 2026: A Researcher's Field Guide to UFO Conferences Worth Your Time

I've attended more paranormal expos than I can count over three decades. Some changed how I think about the phenomenon. Others were expensive disappointments where the loudest voices had the least evidence. The difference between the two comes down to knowing what you're walking into before you buy that ticket.

The landscape of UFO and UAP conferences has shifted dramatically since Congress started taking this subject seriously. What used to be fringe gatherings in hotel ballrooms now attract thousands of attendees, media coverage, and yes, some serious money. But here's what thirty years of filing FOIA requests has taught me: popularity doesn't equal credibility. You need to do your homework.

Let me walk you through what's happening in the paranormal expo world for 2025 and 2026, who's running these events, and how to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The 2025-2026 Event Calendar: Where to Be and When

The schedule is packed. Whether you're on the East Coast, West Coast, or somewhere in between, there's likely an event within driving distance. I've compiled the major ones worth your attention.

Spring and Summer 2025

UFO Con 2025 kicks things off April 4-6 in Burlingame, California. The theme is "Make Contact on the Bay," and they're promising over twenty speakers and film screenings. This one leans toward the experiencer community and disclosure advocacy.

Contact in the Desert runs May 29 through June 2 in Indian Wells, California. Forbes called it "The Woodstock of UFOlogy," and that's not entirely wrong. It's the largest gathering of its kind, blending science, technology, and spirituality into one sprawling event. The conference moved from Joshua Tree to the Coachella Valley a few years back to handle the crowds.

The MUFON International Symposium lands July 17-20 in Kentucky. MUFON has been around since 1969, and their annual gathering remains the flagship event for their membership. Your subscription includes live stream access if you can't make the trip.

Fall 2025 and Beyond

The New Jersey Paraunity Expo on November 8 in Woodbridge features speakers from shows like Skinwalker Ranch and Expedition Bigfoot. If you follow the TV paranormal circuit, you'll recognize names here.

The Edinburg UFO Festival runs November 20-22 in Texas. It's a city-hosted event, which gives it a different flavor than privately organized conferences. MUFON is hosting an open mic session as part of the programming.

Looking ahead to 2026, the McMinnville UFO Festival in Oregon (May 15-16) celebrates the famous 1950 Trent photos with a parade, costume ball, and speaker events. It's part serious conference, part community celebration.

Events with Dates To Be Announced

Several major events haven't locked down their 2025-2026 schedules yet. AlienCon, the media-branded convention tied to the Ancient Aliens series, typically announces dates a few months out. The International UFO Congress is in a similar situation, though they've been running since 1991 and always deliver.

For those interested in virtual options, the 2025 Halifax Paranormal Symposium has gone entirely online, covering everything from electronic voice phenomena to ancient astronaut theory.

Understanding the Evidence Spectrum

Here's where I need to be blunt with you. Not all paranormal expos treat evidence the same way. The gap between a peer-reviewed scientific presentation and an unvetted personal testimony session is massive. Knowing the difference will save you frustration and money.

The Scientific End

The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) represents the most rigorous approach. They publish forensic analyses of military encounters, including detailed reports on cases like the 2004 USS Nimitz incident. Their conferences feature actual data: radar readings, FLIR footage, isotopic analysis. If you want the hard stuff, this is where you find it.

MUFON maintains a field investigator program with a 265-page manual and certification exam. That doesn't make every MUFON presentation peer-reviewed science, but it does mean there's a standardized methodology behind their case files. Their symposium proceedings go back decades and provide historical continuity you won't find elsewhere.

The Mixed Middle Ground

Most large conventions fall somewhere in the middle. The International UFO Congress features several days of speakers covering everything from documented military encounters to personal paranormal experiences. You'll find researchers with academic credentials sharing the schedule with experiencers whose claims haven't been independently verified.

Contact in the Desert attracts what organizers describe as an "intellectually curious, open-minded" audience. The annual gathering focuses on UFOs and extraterrestrial phenomena, but the tent is big enough to include speculative presentations alongside documented cases.

Experiencer-Focused Events

Some events prioritize personal testimony and community support over evidence standards. These aren't bad things if that's what you're seeking. But if you're a researcher looking for verifiable data, adjust your expectations accordingly.

The experiencer sessions at many conventions operate under "no press/media allowed" rules. The focus is on sharing and validation, not investigation. I've sat through some of these. They're valuable for understanding the human dimension of the phenomenon, even when the claims can't be independently confirmed.

The Money Question: What These Events Actually Cost

Let's talk dollars. The paranormal expo industry has gotten sophisticated about separating you from your money, and the tiered pricing structures can be confusing.

General Admission vs. VIP Packages

AlienCon's ticket structure shows how this works at the high end. Their 2019 Dallas event offered a Day Pass around $62, a three-day Explorer Pass at $124, and premium tiers climbing to $649 and beyond. The top-tier Galactic Pass ran $1,625, which bought you reserved front-row seating, autograph vouchers, exclusive merchandise, and meet-and-greets with Ancient Aliens cast members.

Contact in the Desert takes a different approach with experiential add-ons. Your base pass gets you into lectures and panels, but the Night Vision Skywatch tours and trips to sites like Giant Rock cost extra. The premium packages bundle these experiences together, but you'll pay for the convenience.

What Budget Should You Plan?

Tier	Estimated Cost	What You Get
Basic Enthusiast	$500 - $800	General admission, shared off-site lodging, self-catering
Serious Researcher	$1,200 - $1,800	GA pass plus workshops, on-site hotel, some meals
VIP Experience	$2,500+	Top-tier pass, on-site hotel, all add-ons, exclusive access

Factor in parking at desert venues like Indian Wells, which runs $10-40 per day depending on the event. Hotels near major conferences book up fast; early registration often includes partner hotel discounts.

The Vendor Hall Economy

Vendor applications open months before events, and booth space fills quickly. The marketplace at a large conference is its own ecosystem: authors, documentary filmmakers, paranormal tech vendors, metaphysical service providers. Streaming partners like PursuingX have become official sponsors, showing how the business model has expanded beyond ticket sales.

The Hybrid Model Is Here to Stay

The pandemic forced every paranormal expo to figure out virtual delivery. The smart ones turned that emergency pivot into a permanent revenue stream.

Contact in the Desert's 2021 virtual event drew nearly 1,000 registrants on Facebook alone. That's a real market for people who can't travel but still want access to the content. The International UFO Congress now bundles livestream access with premium memberships, and their Phoenix-area gatherings continue to draw in-person crowds alongside virtual attendees.

For researchers like me, this is actually great news. I can attend more events without the travel costs, review sessions I missed, and verify claims against recordings. The trade-off is losing the hallway conversations and impromptu networking that happens at physical gatherings.

Regional Differences: US, Europe, and Latin America

The American expo scene is the most commercialized, hands down. AlienCon represents the peak of media-branded events, leveraging A+E Networks' Ancient Aliens audience into convention attendance. Production values are high, celebrity access is monetized, and the experience is designed for broad entertainment appeal.

European events tend smaller and split between enthusiast gatherings and academic sessions. The UK's Awakening Expo in Manchester blends ufology with broader spiritual and paranormal topics. Academic conferences through organizations like the International Astronautical Congress feature SETI researchers and university professors presenting alongside more speculative speakers.

Latin America offers something the US and Europe lack: direct government engagement. Chile's CEFAA, an official body within their civil aviation authority, has hosted seminars bringing together investigators from Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to discuss methodology with Air Force personnel. Brazilian events have explicitly political goals, petitioning for the release of classified UFO files.

Why the Government Angle Matters

I've spent decades filing FOIA requests, so believe me when I say the official attitude toward UAPs has shifted dramatically. The Pentagon established the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force in August 2020, elevating what had been informal Navy research into an official program.

The ODNI's preliminary assessment to Congress in June 2021 acknowledged that limited high-quality reporting hampered conclusions about UAP nature or intent. That's bureaucratic speak for "we don't know what these things are," which is more honesty than we got for fifty years after Project Blue Book shut down.

The Navy now has formal procedures for pilots reporting unexplained encounters. These guidelines represent a significant step toward legitimizing something that got pilots ridiculed for decades.

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) was established in July 2022 as the latest iteration of official UAP investigation. Their stated mission is studying UAPs across all domains, not just aerial encounters.

AARO's historical record report notes a roughly forty-year gap in UAP investigation programs between Project Blue Book's termination in 1969 and the startup of AAWSAP/AATIP in 2009. Recent congressional testimony has raised questions about programs that may have operated outside normal oversight during that gap.

What does this mean for expo attendees? The government's renewed interest validates the field and attracts new researchers. But it also creates noise. Not every speaker claiming inside knowledge has it. Verify credentials. Check sources. That's what I do, and it's what you should do too.

Practical Tips for Getting the Most Out of These Events

After thirty years of this, I've learned a few things about making conferences worthwhile.

Before You Go

Buy early. Early bird pricing saves money, and premium experiences sell out. Contact in the Desert's 2025 lineup features Josh Gates as a keynote, and those sessions will fill fast.
Study the schedule. Don't just look at headliners. Smaller panels and podcast recordings often provide better networking opportunities. Live podcast recordings like American Alchemy at CITD 2025 extend the event's reach to hundreds of thousands of listeners.
Make a target list. Identify three to five speakers or researchers you want to connect with. Prepare specific, informed questions. Cold approaches work better when you demonstrate familiarity with someone's work.

On Site

Take structured notes. Create a template capturing speaker name, key claims, evidence type, and sources cited. You'll thank yourself later when you're trying to verify something.
Ask permission before recording. Not everyone wants their presentations captured, and some events have strict policies.
Verify in real-time. Your phone is a research tool. When a speaker cites a document or study, look it up during breaks. Note discrepancies.
Respect experiencer spaces. These sessions serve a different purpose than research presentations. Listen with empathy even if you're skeptical of specific claims.

Skywatch Etiquette

Night vision skywatches are popular add-ons at desert events. If you participate:

Use only red-light flashlights to preserve night vision
Never point lasers at the sky unless you're the designated guide
Understand the methodology being used (some groups practice CE-5 protocols, others just observe)
Follow all site rules, especially in sensitive desert locations

Who's Showing Up to These Things?

AlienCon draws both serious believers and casual fans or skeptics, united by interest in the Ancient Aliens phenomenon. Vendors at that event noted attendees "brought their wallets, and they weren't afraid to use it."

Contact in the Desert crowds share skepticism toward mainstream science, conventional history, and government narratives. That creates a welcoming space for unconventional ideas but also means you'll encounter claims that wouldn't survive peer review.

The Eureka Springs UFO Conference explicitly welcomes skeptics and promotes open dialogue. The goal isn't universal agreement but respectful listening and collective analysis.

A 1986 MUFON journal describes motivations that still hold: hearing specific speakers, networking with prominent figures, renewing community friendships. Longtime researchers like Donald Ware describe attending over 100 conferences across fifty years. The community aspect runs deep.

A Word on Ethics and Responsibility

Not every expo gets this right. PhenomeCon lost $24,000 in its first two years while using public funds, raising questions about financial management and accountability. When taxpayer money enters the picture, scrutiny increases.

The FTC requires advertisers to have reasonable basis for objective claims. Their endorsement guidelines require disclosure of material connections. Responsible expos should apply similar standards, distinguishing between evidence-based presentations and speculative ones.

The Awakening Expo in Manchester markets itself as a "safe meeting ground for like-minded souls." That earlier exhibition featured modest ticket prices and a mix of researchers and spiritual figures. The 2019 event continued that community focus.

Speakers like Derrel Sims draw audiences interested in abduction research and physical evidence claims. Whether you find his work credible depends on your evidence standards. That's the point: know what you're evaluating.

The International Picture

The Ufology World Congress in Barcelona has featured speakers like physicist Michio Kaku, bringing mainstream scientific credibility to the European scene. The International Astronautical Congress includes UAP sessions alongside traditional aerospace topics.

Speakers like Nick Pope, former UK Ministry of Defence, appear at events on both sides of the Atlantic. His government background lends weight to discussions of official attitudes and classification practices.

Chile's CEFAA brought together investigators from across South America at the 2018 FIDAE airshow to discuss air safety implications of UAP encounters. Brazilian ufology congresses maintain political pressure for document release. That government engagement model offers lessons for US researchers frustrated by classification barriers.

Finding Your Fit

AlienFest in Las Vegas brings names like George Knapp for keynote talks. Starworks USA symposiums take a different approach with smaller, focused gatherings. Regional MUFON chapters host their own events, often with more intimate access to speakers.

The Pentagon's 2020 release of Navy UAP videos generated mainstream attention that continues driving new people into the field. The DoD's official statement confirmed these objects remain "unidentified," validating years of researcher efforts to get these recordings into public view.

Congressional hearings have brought witnesses like Commander David Fravor into the public record. The Politico coverage of the task force establishment signaled mainstream media taking the subject seriously. National Geographic's investigation timeline provides useful historical context for new researchers.

Every documented encounter adds to our collective knowledge. The evidence accumulated over decades deserves serious attention. Local MUFON chapters are debating how to present this material effectively.

International governments are paying attention. The ODNI's preliminary assessment acknowledged the challenge of characterizing these objects. AATIP and AAWSAP research explored advanced field effects and materials analysis during their operational period.

Scientific approaches to anomalous phenomena have a longer history than most people realize. Contemporary researchers build on decades of accumulated case files and analytical methods.

MUFON's 1978 symposium proceedings show how the field has evolved. Their 1980 journal noted international interest, including early Chinese ufology efforts. The organization's history spans more than five decades of systematic investigation.

Festival atmospheres like McMinnville serve a different purpose than research conferences. The Air Force's Roswell Report offered the official balloon explanation that many researchers find inadequate. Regional symposiums continue attracting dedicated attendees.

FAA FOIA logs show ongoing requests for UAP-related records. MUFON's mission statement remains focused on scientific study. The questions haven't changed much in my thirty years. The evidence has.

The Bottom Line

The paranormal expo world in 2025 and 2026 offers more options than ever. You can spend $62 on a day pass or $1,625 on the full VIP treatment. You can attend virtually from your living room or drive to the desert for a skywatch under the stars. You can hear peer-reviewed forensic analysis or unvetted personal testimony.

What you can't do is assume every event delivers equal value. Do your research before spending your money. Match your expectations to what's actually being offered. Ask hard questions about evidence standards and speaker credentials.

That's what thirty years of filing FOIA requests has taught me. The truth is out there, but it's buried under a lot of noise. These expos can help you find it, if you know what you're looking for.