SDCC 2026: Paramount+’s The Lodge Surpasses Itself Once Again
San Diego Comic Con 2026 kicked off today, July 23, with its annual preview night. In typical BB fashion, we spent the night checking out Paramount+’s The Lodge 2026 iteration, and dare we say it, this might just be the best one yet.
As guests first walk into The Lodge, they are immediate greeted with the chance to create a nice little goodie to remember their time at The Lodge. Attendees choose between a pennant with two patches or a personalized luggage tag. During our visit to the offsite, the luggage tag was by far the more popular item, but it takes a while to create. We opted to go with the pennant because we wanted the opportunity to maximize our time inside.
As Attendees continue to wander through the event, they journey to the world of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. Here, fans get to explore the Republic City Marketplace, enjoy a nice cool refreshment, and take part in a variety of photo ops. One of these ops is an interactive setup, where guests choose which element from the show they want to include in their photo, so make sure to have fun with it.
Further into the activation, attendees are welcomed to the world of Dutton Ranch and the first of two bars that serve alcoholic beverages. The Dutton Ranch section featured a fun hay barrel pull game and our favorite photo opportunity at the offsite. This photo ops has guests rocking away in two rocking chairs from the front porch of Dutton Ranch. It’s the most simple of all the photo ops, but by far the most comfortable. The bar offers three different drinks that do not relate to the show at all, but go with The Lodge’s theme.
Tucked away in the back of the offsite is UFC, where guests are tested on their athletic ability. From reflex challenges to a dead hang, this activation requires the guest to create a card that will feature their stats from the tests. The card part of the activation was not working during our visit, but that didn’t stop us from having a fun time. Shoutout to the entire staff in that section for keeping the energy high and alive.
As guests exit the UFC activation, they are immediately immersed into the world of South Park. Out of all the of the sections featured in this offside, this is by far the most simple. Featuring three different photo opportunities, guests can choose where they want to pose for a quick pick before heading on their merry way. This one will be a hit for South Park fans, and maybe a miss for all others.
Last, but not least, fans are transported to the the U.S.S. Port Galley from Star Trek: Strange New World for another refreshment opportunity, photo op, and dance worthy tunes from an alien DJ. This was the most immersive of the sections due to quality of decorations and amazing staff. But heads up, this bar has different refreshments than the bar near Dutton Ranch, so make sure to look at the drink menu below to decide which drink is for you.
Because the visit to The Lodge is done in 50 minute increments, The Lodge never felt crowded. Not once during our visit did we feel like sardines in a can, which is a major step up from year’s past. The space was also utilized brilliantly compared to year’s past. There were only brief moments of bottlenecking, but the minds behind this year’s activation were able to design a space where people could flow through the space like a river traveling down a mountain side. It made the experience that much better.
Paramount+’s The Lodge has always been one of our favorite offsites to attend, and this year is no different. Those attending SDCC or just looking for a fun offsite to do, we suggest checking this one out at Comic Con. Open Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26, from 9am-7pm daily, you walk away with not only a lot of swag, but great pictures and 50 minutes of pure fun.
