Sparkle Nights convention apparently cancelled

In the UK convention roundup I posted about a month ago, I covered four cons. Three of them – UK PonyCon, BronyScot and newcomer Griffish Isles – have either posted updates since then or (in the case of BronyScot) still have their 2017 websites up. I'll obviously post more about those if there's anything important to report, but nothing's really changed since the UKPC theme announcement.

However, the fourth possible UK convention, Sparkle Nights, seems to have bitten the dust, despite having announced a venue and produced an eye-catching website. I haven't been able to find any hard information, but the convention's site and social media accounts all seem to have been deactivated. At the very least, it doesn't look as though anything's going to happen in May as previously announced – if at all.

Assuming I'm right, this is the second full-scale MLP con in the UK that I know that hasn't made it to opening day. The first was My Little Convention in 2015, which never really convinced as having a stable setup and which may have done everyone a favour by cancelling. With Sparkle Nights, the people involved were at least names I'd heard of, but as we see that doesn't guarantee success.

UK Pony conventions old and new

So... much... nostalgia value

2018 is shaping up to be a very interesting, and potentially record-breaking, year for the UK as far as My Little Pony conventions are concerned. While much of the news from America over the last few months has been of cons calling it a day – Nightmare Nights and EQLA being two big names to do so – here in Britain we're apparently going in the other direction. There are two established cons to consider and two newcomers, so here's what we know so far.

UK PonyCon: venue TBA, date TBA
This is the biggie, being both the longest-running (by far) and the largest British MLP convention. It is unusual both as a multi-generation event and for its extremely strong family-friendly ethos, but as it's sold out three years in a row that approach clearly works. Plans are already well under way, with committee applications having closed earlier this month. I'm biased, having loved almost every minute of UKPC 2017 in Bristol, but this is the convention I'll be aiming at as a priority in 2018. Last year's con was in mid-October and details were announced in late April.

BronyScot: venue TBA, date TBA
Last year, BronyScot in Glasgow was the only specifically brony-targeted convention in the UK. I don't think I've seen any definite confirmation that the con will happen again this year, but BronyScot will have a presence at Hearth's Warming Con in the Netherlands in February. That's a pretty good indication that we can expect a 2018 iteration. Last year, for various reasons, some details were very late in arriving, but with luck that won't happen in 2018. Last year's con was in late November and ticket sales opened in August.

Griffish Isles: venue Manchester, date 19 May 2018
Now we're on to the new conventions. This is a one-day event organised by HypnoHooves, a name well known to many from other conventions and his organising of the regular Lancashire meets. Although exact locations have not yet been revealed, the con website states that there are two, both walking distance from Manchester Piccadilly station. The only reason I can see for having two venues at a single-day con is a separate music event, as with Rock Nessie at BronyScot. Mention of hotels on the website does hint at an evening component.

Sparkle Nights: venue Bristol, date TBA
The fourth UK con of 2018 doesn't have a date, though "sometime in May" was mentioned on its Twitter, but it does have an exact location: the SGS College WISE Campus near Bristol Parkway station. With a team headed up by another familiar name on the UK fandom scene, Jollyoldcinema, this con is aiming for "laughs and fun" and describes itself as "a more teenage/adult event", though a reference to a target age group of 14–25 seems to have disappeared since I first checked the site. Sparkle Nights has the most eye-catching and detailed website of all four cons at the time of publishing.

Some personal thoughts past the cut.