Hopefully, you haven’t been living under a rock and know all about ApollyCon 2026, but just in case you haven’t had time to catch up on all the gossip, here are the deets.
ApollyCon is the romance reader event of the year, held April 22–26, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland — just outside Washington, D.C. This is the annual multi-day reader convention run by Jennifer L. Armentrout herself, and you can find all the official details over on the ApollyCon event page. Since 2015, it’s been the North Star for the romance and romantasy community, and this year, there are secrets and excitement galore.
Coming along are Rebecca Yarros, J.R. Ward, JLA, Penn Cole, and more. Plus, plus, plus, there’s a Villain’s Ball. There’s a brunch with Yarros and Armentrout. There are panels on monster romance, dark romance, queer romance, cozy fantasy, and banned books. And so many more cool things.
Join The List
Sign up and get all the latest book news, reviews, offers, & viral recs. Unsubscribe at any time.
By subscribing you agree to receive emails from The Gilt List. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The Headliners: Rebecca Yarros, J.R. Ward, and JLA Together
Three of the most commercially dominant voices in modern romance — Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros, and J.R. Ward — are all attending and doing dedicated in-conversation events. It’s going to be the event of the year because of this alone.
The Yarros and JLA Brunch on Sunday, April 26, is the big sell of the weekend. It’s a sit-down meal where the queens of the Empyrean and Blood and Ash universes do a behind-the-scenes deep dive together.
There’s also the heavy-hitter conversation between JLA and J.R. Ward for Primal and Ascended holders, covering everything from world-building to the stamina needed for long-running series. If you’re looking for news on Onyx Storm or the next ACOTAR crossover theories, you don’t want to miss out on this little chat.
The Author Lineup for AppollyCon 2026
The full author list for ApollyCon 2026 runs to well over 100 names. 100 incredible authors. Here’s a snapshot of who’s turning up across romantasy, dark romance, and YA:
- Rebecca Yarros — Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm
- J.R. Ward — Black Dagger Brotherhood series
- Jennifer L. Armentrout — Host, From Blood and Ash, A Shadow in the Ember
- Penn Cole — Fated Realm series
- Melissa K. Roehrich — Lady of Darkness, Court of Broken Oaths series
- Nikki St. Crowe — Vicious Lost Boys series
- Danielle L. Jensen — Bridge Kingdom series
- Elise Kova — Air Awakens and A Deal with the Elf King
- Stacia Stark — Kingdom of the Wicked series
- Olivia Wildenstein — The Kingdom of Crows series
- Chloe C. Peñaranda — An Heir Comes to Rise series
- Tricia Levenseller, Amanda Bouchet, Juliette Cross, Emma Hamm, K.A. Knight, and many more.
You can totally pre-order pickups from author tables and probably should because those queues are going to be insane. For those who didn’t get a chance to get tickets or get signed copies, there will be an on-site B&N pop-up with some extra goodies.
A Full Breakdown of The Events
ApollyCon is singing books and five days of programming, parties, and exciting gossip. Check it out.
Wednesday, April 22 — Opening Night
The official kick-off is Welcome to the Capital, a JLA-hosted immersive event with a live Q&A. Cosplay is going to be a thing. For everyone else, the Attendee Mixer in the Maryland Ballroom (7:30–9 PM) is the best place to find and make friends before the event.
Thursday, April 23 — Programming Kicks Off
Sword fighting demonstrations, tattoo artists on-site (by appointment), and a Books and Treats event with Berkley Publishing. The panel schedule opens Thursday morning with multiple tracks running simultaneously.
Friday, April 24 — FoX Friday and the Black & White Party
The FoX Friday Live! Black & White Party runs 7–9 PM in the Exhibit Hall. If you aren’t at the party, you’re likely at the Mystic Box/Arcane Society Shopping Event, which is open to all ticket tiers.
Saturday, April 25 — The Villain’s Ball
The headline Saturday night event is the Villain’s Ball (10 PM–Midnight). The ballroom transforms into a realm of dark glamour, apparently. Dressing as your favorite book villain isn’t just encouraged; it’s basically mandatory. And we’ll need all the pics after. Expect a sea of black lace, crowns, and daggers.
Sunday, April 26 — Brunch With Yarros and JLA
The final send-off. This is the most-screenshotted moment of the whole weekend. If there are going to be secret project leaks, they usually happen here. And you know there will be, these authors are vicious, cruel, and amazing.
Practical Bits Worth Knowing
| Feature | Detail |
| Dates | April 22–26, 2026 |
| Venue | Gaylord National Resort, National Harbor, MD |
| Signing Limit | 3 items per author, per attendee |
| Bag Check | Available Fri–Sat ($30 for two-day access) |
| Parking | $32/day with ApollyCon discount (Self-park) |
| B&N Pop-Up | Azalea 1 — standard editions only (no special edges) |
| Wristbands | Required for Yarros, J.R. Ward, and JLA queues |
What People Are Buzzing About Most
A Barnes & Noble pop-up bookstore is operating on-site, stocked with titles by attending authors — though special editions won’t be available through it, so if you want those, you’re buying directly from the author tables. If that’s not incredible, and it is, there will be on-site tattoo artists available by appointment on Thursday and Friday. Andarna tats mandatory.
The Mystic Box/Arcane Society Shopping Event on Friday evening is open to all ticket tiers, which is a relief given how tiered the rest of the programming is, considering. The TOR/Bramble event is one to watch for traditionally published readers. For context, Bramble is Tor’s romance imprint and has been very active in the romantasy space.
Info on the ticket tiers: Primal and Ascended are the premium tiers that unlock the Welcome to the Capital opening event, the JLA/JR Ward conversation, the Villain’s Ball, and, in Primal’s case, the signing day access. Brunch is its own separate ticket.
Also l, Wristbands for the top-tier author queues — Rebecca Yarros, JR Ward, and Jennifer L. Armentrout — have to be picked up at registration specifically.
Who This Event Is Actually For
ApollyCon has always sat in an interesting middle space because it’s not quite a pure romance convention or YA, and it pulls in adult romantasy and dark romance readers too. Personally, I think it’s the perfect mix of everything most romance readers love, if they like a touch of magic with their reads. This crowd has, of course, exploded since Fourth Wing hit in 2023.
To lay homage to that, the author mixes all the best (well, not all, but they tried) you’ve got traditionally published legacy names like JR Ward alongside self-published indie powerhouses like Nikki St. Crowe and Melissa K. Roehrich. That crossover is still pretty rare at reader events, and it’s part of why the demand for tickets is what it is.
ApollyCon is genuinely great for any reader of romantasy and dark romance. It’s well developed and has a little something for everyone to explore.
Join The List
Sign up and get all the latest book news, reviews, offers, & viral recs. Unsubscribe at any time.
By subscribing you agree to receive emails from The Gilt List. You can unsubscribe at any time.
FAQ: ApollyCon 2026
ApollyCon is an annual multi-day reader convention founded by author Jennifer L. Armentrout. It focuses on YA and adult romance/romantasy, bringing indie and trad-pub authors together.
At the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
As of now, the event is sold out. However, keep an eye on official ApollyCon Facebook groups for verified ticket transfers, as some people have last-minute cancellations.
The vibe is “Dark Glamour.” Think high-fashion villains, dark crowns, and dramatic capes. Most attendees go all out with cosplay, but a “little black dress” with dark accessories works too!
Yes, to keep the lines moving, there is a strict 3-item limit per author. Some authors may have additional specific requirements for their lines.
No. The Barnes & Noble pop-up carries standard editions. If you want the sprayed edges or special covers, you have to buy those directly from the individual author tables or have pre-ordered them.
Follow the hashtag #ApollyCon2026 on Instagram and TikTok. Also, make sure you have the official event schedule (Jotform) bookmarked on your phone!
Typically, tickets for the following year go on sale in the late summer or early fall. Be ready—they usually sell out in minutes!