Tomorrow is Youth Day, a watershed moment in South Africa's history. It also marks the start of the ICON Comic and Games Convention for 2017, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary too. The event is taking place over the entire Youth Day long weekend (16-18 June) and promises to be a noteworthy convention for anyone interested in gaming, comic books, cosplay or anything geek-related. 

With so much going down at the Gallagher Convention Centre over the next three days, here's what you need to know about ICON 2017. 

Prices

ICON will have a number of options of offer in terms of tickets. The prices start at R60 for standard tickets and top out at R120 depending on which day you attend, as well as R250 variants good for the entire long weekend. 

If you want a more luxurious experience, the VIP passes will go for a cool R995, and includes a bunch of branded swag, along with the ability to skip queues for certain attractions.  

As far as special offers go, ICON will be allowing free to entry to any child under four years old for the entire convention. If your kid falls between four and 12, they'll be given free entry tomorrow (16 June, Youth Day), or pay half price for the other days (17 June, 18 June).  

Panels

If panel discussions are your thing, ICON 2017 will have you covered. Currently, there are 39 different panel sessions on the agenda, covering all things related to comic books, tabletop gaming and eSports. 

With all categories getting their time to shine over each of the three days, there are a few standouts in our opinion. On day one, cosplayers will be first up with a session hosted by Lina "Vampy Bit Me" Le, thereafter a E3 breakdown panel with Zoe Hawkins. Day two sees local comic book guy Sean Izaakse leading a panel titled Starfinder: One Hour Alien Lab. The final day's sessions are also worth noting, with Sam Wright (@TechGirlZA) discussing the local state of eSports. 

Gaming

Games in all their guises will be on show at ICON. Yes, the console and PC variety are on display, but tabletop options are the more significant focus at this convention. As such, some of the lesser known formats will get their time to shine, including board games, card games and roleplaying ones. 

Guests

The lineup of guests for ICON is far ranging, including local tech and gaming media, as well as artists and writers from abroad. Some notable attendees this long weekend include Pippa Tshabalala, game designer James L. Sutter, YouTuber Michael Cost and eSports gamer Barry Louzada. 

For more information about ICON 2017, head here.