PAX West 2026 guide: badges, schedule and Seattle travel

Photo: Derek Springer via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. It shows attendees playing Ticket to Ride at PAX in 2008, not the 2026 event.

PAX West 2026 runs from Friday, September 4 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, at the Seattle Convention Center. Friday through Sunday run from 10am to midnight. Monday runs from 10am to 6pm. The expo halls close at 6pm every day, even when the rest of the show continues later.

The short answer: buy the badge for the day that contains your top event, install PAX Nav, and save a plain-text plan for the correct building and trip home. The app is available, but as of August 25 the official schedule still calls itself a preview and the maps, hours and entry page still says more information is coming soon.

This guide was checked against current PAX, Seattle-area transit and airport sources on August 25. Some third-party calendars still show the wrong dates, while several guides repeat early-bird badge prices or reverse the Arch and Summit addresses. Use the dated details below, then recheck the official app before leaving.

PAX West 2026 at a glance

Choose a badge around one priority

The badge grants access to almost all show content, including panels, demos, concerts and the expo halls. It does not reserve a seat or remove capacity limits. Popular panels remain first come, and a line can close before the published start time.

Children age 6 and younger enter free with a paid adult. PAX is all ages, but the schedule can flag content as 13+ or 17+. A parent should read the individual session description rather than treating the all-ages event label as a rating for every panel.

The current registration page has a useful 2026 timeline image: the mailing deadline was July 6, early-bird pricing ended July 14, and onsite pricing rises September 1. Farther down, the same page still contains stale 2024 milestone text. The current price cards and 2026 timeline are the relevant information.

Missing mailed badges and Badge Pickup

PAX says mailed badges can arrive as late as one week before the event. If a badge has not arrived during show week, email [email protected] with the order confirmation information. Do that before traveling rather than assuming a shipping issue will fix itself at the entrance.

Badges bought after the mailing cutoff use Badge Pickup in the Annex, Level 3, at 800 Pike Street. The official Info page had not published the current pickup hours on August 25. Keep the order confirmation and photo ID ready, but do not build a flight or train around a pickup window copied from an earlier year.

International attendees commonly discuss will call because overseas mailing is not always offered. The same caution applies: use the order method shown in the official confirmation and check the current Info page when the pickup schedule appears. An old Reddit comment can help explain the process, but it cannot set 2026 operating hours.

PAX does not offer normal badge refunds. The FAQ permits an owner to gift, trade or sell a badge, but the organizer cannot verify an unofficial transaction or protect the buyer. A plastic badge shown in a listing is not proof that it will work. Buy through the official registration route whenever inventory remains.

Badge activation is not the entrance ticket

The physical badge admits you to PAX for its valid day. Activation connects the badge with optional PAX XP and PAX Arcadia activities, including scans at designated towers and sponsor offers. It is useful for the scavenger-hunt side of the show, but visitors should not confuse an activation problem with the basic function of wearing a valid badge at entry.

PAX Nav includes badge activation, schedule information, maps and event FAQs. If activation fails, keep the badge and order record secure, then use official support or an Info Desk. Do not post the code or a close photograph of the badge in a public thread while asking for help.

Everyone must wear a badge inside the show. Security also asks attendees to carry valid photo ID. Those are separate items: activation in an app does not replace either one.

Schedule and map: what is live and what is pending

The PAX West 2026 mobile app is available now. The official first-time guide says PAX Nav is the best place for current schedules, room locations, expo maps, FAQs and badge activation. Install it before entering the convention center, allow it to finish updating, and check that it is showing PAX West 2026 rather than an older event.

There is still a publication gap. On August 25, the website's schedule page called its contents a preview and said more events and the full schedule were coming. The Info page listed maps, hours and entry information as coming soon. The app may update before the website, but a traveler should not treat a partial schedule as final.

One confirmed anchor is Friday's Storytime keynote. Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill is scheduled for 11am in the Main Theatre on September 4. The room normally remains occupied between Storytime and the following Penny Arcade Q&A, an exception to the usual theatre-clearing practice.

Save these outside the app once the final material appears:

1. Screenshot the floor map for each building.
2. Write the full room name beside each priority session.
3. Note the final session and the last useful train or bus separately.
4. Choose a meeting point in both Arch and Summit.
5. Keep the hotel address in a plain phone note.

The app can change a room or warn about a line. Static screenshots cannot. The screenshots are backups, not a reason to ignore current notices.

Arch, Summit and Annex are different destinations

PAX uses three Seattle Convention Center buildings. Generic guides often reduce this to two venues, which is how first-time visitors lose time before they reach a line.

The buildings are close, but they are not one continuous floor. Security, elevators, crowds and a wrong entrance can turn a short walk into a missed start. Avoid stacking two high-priority items back to back across buildings.

Use the first hour for the activity that benefits most from an early line. Expo visitors can begin in Arch. Tabletop players and many panel visitors may spend more time in Summit. Badge Pickup belongs before either plan, not in the middle of it.

Panels, tournaments and lines

Panel access is included with the badge and is normally first come, first served. Theatres usually clear between sessions. The Friday Storytime-to-Q&A block is the published exception, and any further exception should appear in the schedule.

PAX Nav can report panel-line information, but it cannot create a seat after a line has reached capacity. Pick one must-see session each half-day and give it a realistic queue buffer. A full list of consecutive favorites is a wish list, not a workable route.

Tournament signup generally opens at 10am on the day of the tournament. Individual descriptions can use different rules, so read the exact event entry. Someone interested in a 7pm tournament may still need to register soon after doors open.

Autographing is generally included for the first autograph, but the badge must be valid for that day and individual sessions can set limits. Check the guest description before carrying an item across both buildings.

Bags, strollers and security checks

PAX states that bag checks may occur and that walkthrough or handheld scanners may be used. It does not currently publish a universal maximum bag size on the safety page. Pack for inspection and walking rather than relying on an invented size copied from another convention.

Rolling bags, rolling backpacks, suitcases and wagons are not allowed inside the expo halls. Strollers are also not permitted for use in an expo hall, although they may be carried there and used elsewhere. Families should decide whether carrying a folded stroller through a crowded hall is practical before joining the queue.

Keep medication, a charger, water and a light layer in a manageable bag. PAX's first-time guide says outside food is allowed, which can save a meal queue, but any item remains subject to security and venue rules.

Photography restrictions can apply in panels, autograph sessions, screenings and other marked areas. Smart glasses or other camera-equipped eyewear cannot be used where recording is prohibited. Follow the posted rule even if another room allowed recording earlier.

Cosplay props need inspection

Every costume weapon or prop weapon must be inspected and peace bonded at an Information booth. Once approved, the peace bond remains valid for the rest of the show.

Live firearms and airsoft weapons are prohibited even if decommissioned. Metal or solid resin, plastic or rubber replica firearms are also prohibited. Any permitted firearm-style prop must be inoperable and carry an orange safety tip. Bows must be unstrung or use low-tensile thread, and arrows need soft, non-metal blunted tips. Metal swords, knives, spears and other sharp implements are not allowed.

Read the complete current safety policy before traveling with a prop. Covering a prohibited metal object does not make it acceptable, and approval remains with event staff. Build time for inspection into the first day instead of arriving at a panel line with an unchecked prop.

Children, medical passes and ASL requests

The Family Gaming Zone gives younger visitors a defined place to play, but the rest of the day still involves long walks, noise and queues. A child who can handle a four-hour museum visit may not enjoy a midnight convention schedule. Choose a shorter badge day or a fixed afternoon break if needed.

The Seattle Convention Center is wheelchair accessible. PAX offers a Medical Pass for an attendee and one companion to support accommodations. The pass does not override a capped line. Contact [email protected] for the form and current collection details.

ASL interpreter requests were due two weeks before the convention under the published policy. That deadline had already passed by this review date. A late request is still worth sending, but the organizer does not promise that it can be fulfilled.

Strollers can be used outside the expo halls. Families should also save restroom locations when the current map appears and agree on a lost-child meeting point that is more specific than "the convention center."

SEA Airport to PAX West

PAX recommends Link light rail from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to downtown. The airport station is reached through the parking garage on the fourth floor near Alaska Airlines. Follow the blue and green walkway from the terminal.

Westlake is the central downtown Link stop for the convention-center area. Confirm the current route and elevator status in the Sound Transit trip planner on the travel date. A hotel may be closer to another stop, and maintenance can change the easiest exit.

The official PAX travel page says Link frequency can range from 5 to 20 minutes depending on time of day. Add the walk from baggage claim to the station, platform wait and downtown walk when estimating arrival. A landing time is not a convention-center arrival time.

Driving is useful for visitors carrying computers for BYOC or staying outside the transit network, but downtown parking is limited and event parking is not included with a badge. If driving, reserve a cancellable space only after confirming the correct building and hotel access. Do not leave a suitcase or visible convention purchases in the car.

Labor Day changes the Monday return

Monday, September 7 is both the final PAX day and Labor Day. King County Metro runs a Sunday schedule. Link 1 and 2 Line trains also use a Sunday schedule, while Sounder commuter rail does not operate.

PAX closes at 6pm Monday, so the exit is concentrated earlier than the midnight finishes on Friday through Sunday. Check the exact holiday trip before entering the show. A normal weekday train saved in an old itinerary may not run.

Metro's service change begins August 29, less than a week before PAX. Visitors using local buses should plan with a September travel date so the result uses the new network. Save the stop name, direction and one backup route.

For an evening flight, work backward from the airline's check-in and security requirements, not from the 6pm show close. Leaving the expo hall at 6pm does not place you on a Link train at 6pm.

Apps and offline information worth saving

Free Wi-Fi is available at PAX, but the official FAQ warns that crowd load can make it unreliable. Download the current maps and keep tickets or travel confirmations available before entering the busiest spaces.

The offline maps travel index explains what common navigation apps retain without data. The travel data calculator can estimate a Seattle trip using maps, messages and video uploads instead of guessing from the convention length.

Mobile data between SEA Airport and PAX West

An international visitor may need mobile data before reaching convention Wi-Fi: at SEA Airport, on Link, while finding the correct building and during the return journey. A Roaming eSIM can be installed before travel while the normal SIM remains available for calls and texts. It does not guarantee reception in a crowded hall or replace an offline meeting point.

The public United States catalog returned 37 plans on August 25. Thirty-four were marked eligible for top-up and three were not. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon appear in coverage records depending on the selected package. Check the plan card rather than assuming every plan has the same operators, speed or reloadability.

The United States Roaming eSIM is the direct fit for a Seattle-only trip. A visitor combining PAX with Vancouver can compare the USA and Canada Roaming eSIM. Wider North American and global cards appear below only because some attendees continue beyond those two countries.

That is the practical advantage over relying only on event Wi-Fi: the same data plan can support the airport transfer, downtown maps and the trip after PAX. It cannot change PAX's badge, line, security or schedule rules.

Before buying, use the phone compatibility checker and read when to install a Roaming eSIM. Travelers deciding between one-country and multi-country coverage can use the country versus regional Roaming eSIM guide.

Ten PAX West 2026 questions answered

1. What are the PAX West 2026 dates and hours?

PAX West runs September 4 to 7, 2026. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are open from 10am to midnight. Monday is open from 10am to 6pm. Both expo halls close at 6pm every day.

2. How much do PAX West 2026 badges cost?

Current prices are $264.60 for four days, $81.90 for Friday or Sunday, $88.20 for Saturday and $59.85 for Monday. The kids four-day badge for ages 7 to 12 is $59.85. Prices rise onsite from September 1 under the current 2026 timeline.

3. What should I do if my PAX badge has not arrived?

PAX says shipped badges can arrive up to one week before the event. If yours is still missing during show week, email [email protected] with the confirmation information. Do not wait until you are standing at the entrance.

4. Where is PAX West Badge Pickup?

Badge Pickup is in the Annex, Level 3, at 800 Pike Street. The official page had not published current pickup hours on August 25. Recheck the Info page before travel and keep the order confirmation and photo ID ready.

5. Do I need to activate my PAX badge to enter?

The valid physical badge is the entry credential. Activation connects it to optional PAX XP, Arcadia scans and related app features. Wear the badge and carry photo ID even if the activation step is already complete.

6. Is the full PAX West 2026 schedule available?

Not yet on the website at the time of this review. The schedule page calls the current listing a preview and says more content is coming. PAX Nav is available and may update first, so refresh it before finalizing a daily plan.

7. What is the PAX West bag policy?

Bag checks may occur, but PAX does not publish one universal bag-size limit on its safety page. Rolling bags, suitcases, wagons and rolling backpacks cannot be used in expo halls. Strollers may be carried in expo halls and used elsewhere.

8. Which building should I use at PAX West?

Use Annex for Badge Pickup, Arch for the main expo hall and Summit for most panels, freeplay and tabletop content. Check the room in PAX Nav because a badge grants access across the event, not a single building.

9. How do I get from SEA Airport to PAX West?

Take Link light rail from the airport station to downtown, then walk to the correct convention building or hotel. The airport station is reached through the fourth floor of the parking garage near Alaska Airlines. Check current Sound Transit alerts before boarding.

10. Does public transport run normally on Labor Day?

No. On Monday, September 7, Metro and Link use Sunday schedules, and Sounder commuter rail does not run. Plan the final PAX day with a dated trip search rather than a normal Monday timetable.

Final check before leaving

• Confirm the badge day, delivery or Badge Pickup method.
• Update PAX Nav and verify that it shows the 2026 event.
• Save Arch, Summit and Annex addresses separately.
• Screenshot each building map when the final version appears.
• Read the complete prop policy before carrying cosplay equipment.
• Plan Monday travel with Labor Day service, not weekday assumptions.
• Keep a charger, photo ID and order confirmation accessible.
• Install and test any Roaming eSIM before the travel day.

PAX's remaining map and entry details can still change before September 4. The most useful final step is a fresh official check after packing, while there is still time to fix the badge, route or bag.