It’s a long wait for fans between seasons of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For the show runners, cast and crew, the hard work continues during the year ‘off’ for us viewers – and now, in just one week, we’ll all be able to enjoy the fruits of their labours. We have some images and content to keep you busy until then – with interviews coming soon!
A couple of weeks ago Prime Video invited various influencers and press to get ‘Close to the World’. Our staffer greendragon was lucky enough to join them in the English countryside – where amid bucolic scenes reminiscent of the Shire, insight into all the crafts and talents which go into the show were shared. Here’s what greendragon had to say:
Getting Closer to the World
Arriving into London, a merry meeting awaited! Old friends such as Nerd of the Rings, Varking Runesong, Tea with Tolkien, Airplane facts with Max, the Tolkien Professor, and Fellowship of Fans were gathering, thanks to a very exciting invitation from the good people at Prime Video. Reunited with admirable and excellent folks – and delighted to be making new friends – on the first day we were taken to Shepperton Studios. There the remarkable team behind wigs, make-up, prosthetics and costumes lavished their care and attention on us, as we were fitted for character overhauls – to come later in the week. I felt unworthy of such diligence – but of course, whatever they created for us would be seen over the interwebs, so naturally they wanted it to be worthy of their amazing talents!
Nerd of the Rings, Varking and Tea with Tolkien admired Elven costumes
That evening, we were delighted to have a chance to say hi to the very busy (and surely exhausted – so nice of them to take the time!) showrunners, Patrick McKay and JD Payne. Then we scattered to our various evening plans (mine included a swim in a rooftop pool, which I had all to myself). Sleep was needed – as the next day, we were going on an adventure!
Into the wild…
Little buses picked us up outside our central London venue, to whisk us into the English countryside. It was a misty, atmospheric Autumnal day as we slowly passed by Oxford in the late afternoon twilight. Further into the wild we ventured; towns became fields and trees. A wooden sign with a familiar ‘swoosh’ logo shepherded us the way we were to go. But then – a security guard told us we should not pass… Dismounting from the bus, out of the foggy gloom towards us loomed riders in black – Naznagôl! Arranged as though we had intruded on a film set, complete with lighting and music, we were able to approach the daunting ringbearers and their stunning steeds – before we ventured through what seemed to be a magic portal, to the realm which awaited us beyond…
We were at Soho Farmhouse, where wooden signposts had been topped with golden rings, doorways were festooned with dried flower wreathes, and everything was carefully arranged to transport us to Middle-earth – or at the very least, to a filming location for Tolkien’s world. Cosy cabins were as snug as Hobbit-holes; and tables groaned with enough food to satisfy even Merry and Pippin. Cast joined the fun and were ready to chat and share the excitement. Leith McPherson, the show’s dialect coach, delighted us with an exuberant presentation on Tolkien’s languages (focusing particularly on Elvish). In one of the venue’s barn-like spaces were displayed all manner of treasures: wigs, props, set designs, costumes, weapons and prosthetics. Even better – the heads of these various departments were there to talk to us, to explain the labours which go into creating what we see on screen. Best of all – we were even allowed to touch these wonders, as we asked the wizards behind them to explain just how they came into being.
The team from our Shepperton visit arrived to transform us into Elves, Dwarves and Númenóreans. It was astonishing, to see everyone unrecognisable. I was a Númenórean woman – certainly a noble, maybe even royalty, judging from my golden garments and shoes! The wig was a thing of beauty – painstakingly curled and shaped around my head. Once again, I was humbled by the care and time taken by these amazing artists.
Action!
Having gone ‘Closer to..’ characters, costumes, language and craft, my favourite part of the adventure was getting ‘Closer to the Action’. A stunt team – lead by Stunt Coordinator Roy Taylor – taught us some basics, including the all important ‘how to fall’. They then showed us a fight sequence from Season 3 – featuring Hannah and Jordan, stunt doubles for Galadriel and Arondir. And then, to our amazement, they taught US the sequence – and we performed it! I’m now considering a change in career path, given my newly discovered orc-abilities…
After far too short a time, the hour came to leave this realm of wonders and return to the real world. As I wended my way back through Cotswold countryside, I reflected on all I had seen. What struck me – not as a surprise, but as an underlining of a truth I already suspected – was the level of care and attention taken over every aspect of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Whatever one’s own feelings about the show – whatever nitpicks one may have with plot lines, or characterisations – there can be no doubt that everyone working on the show is of the highest calibre. They pour their energy and skills into everything they do, taking pride over every detail – whether they are working behind the scenes or in front of the camera. The camaraderie was also evident; this is a fellowship, a huge but intimate group of people who support and cherish one another.
Cheers to the fandom and to fellowship!
That kinship comes from the top. Payne and McKay have built a team who look forward to working together – who, rather than feeling it is a long slog, wish the show would never end! The love and respect shared by all was extended to us for this magical glimpse into their world. The generosity of the show runners, allowing us to see so much, was matched by the warmth of everyone we met. I am in awe of what Prime Video and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power invited us to share – and I am grateful to have been lucky enough to join the fun. It makes me all the more eager to see what these folks have built together, playing out in Season 3. Just a few days until we can ALL share that magic…
Exclusive Interviews
During the ‘Closer to the World’ event, greendragon sat down with some of The Rings of Power team. We’ll be sharing those videos over the coming days, as we head back to the Second Age of Tolkien’s realm. Coming soon! Meanwhile, if you haven’t already seen it – watch the Season 3 trailer here!
If you’re a follower of TORn Tuesday, you’ll have seen Royd Tolkien and Jed Brophy guesting on the show, in advance of a special appearance at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Royd, a film maker who happens to be the great-grandson of the Professor, was presenting the US premier of his film There’s a Hole in my Bucket . They joined host Quickbeam (aka Clifford Scott Broadway) to talk about this inspiring film.
Royd’s brother Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (known in America as ALS). Before he died, he created a ‘bucket list’ – tasks and challenges that Royd would fulfil on Mike’s behalf. There’s a Hole in my Bucket tells the story of the quest to complete that list. It’s a beautiful and moving film, which will be heading to more cities for screenings – comment on the movie’s Facebook page if you’d like it to play in a city near you!
Meanwhile, we were delighted that in addition to taking time to join TORn Tuesday, Royd also shared some thoughts with staffer greendragon – discussing the challenges, loss, living life to the full, and the Tolkien fandom.
Royd Tolkien with his little brother Mike
greendragon: Somehow a decade has already passed since Mike died. How did all the challenges go? Are you still setting yourself new challenges, imagining what Mike might be asking you to do if he were still here?
Royd: The challenges were all difficult in their own unique way. Some were terrifying and pushed me completely outside my comfort zone, others were incredibly awkward (and I avoid awkwardness at all costs!), and some were so emotional that they made the pain of Mike not being there all the more real. But they all pushed me in directions I never imagined I’d go.
It’s very easy to slip back into what’s familiar and comfortable. I still find myself pottering around in the garden, imagining Mike shouting at me saying, “Get out there! Do something! You can garden tomorrow!”
And I do try to carry that with me. So much of this journey has been about learning to grab life by the balls, to say yes to things I might normally shy away from and to make the most of the time I’ve got. I don’t always get it right, but I think Mike would be pleased to know I’m still giving it a bloody good go.
GD: What has the reception of the movie and your book been? I imagine people really relate to it – do you get people sharing tales with you, of their own grief, or of their goals to live more fully?
RT: I’ve been totally blown away by the reception, particularly to the book which has been out for a few years now. The film’s currently doing the festival circuit, including Newport Beach Film Festival, and is due for release in Australia and New Zealand next year.
I’ve had people reach out from all over the world to tell me how the story has affected their lives, often in ways I could never have anticipated. And it’s not necessarily people who’ve experienced motor neurone disease or a similar loss. I’ve had messages from people who’ve realised how ridiculous a petty argument with a brother or sister was, and how my journey has encouraged them to rebuild those relationships. Others have told me it’s made them reassess their priorities and reminded them of the importance of getting out there and grabbing life by the balls.
That’s been an extraordinary and completely unexpected reward. When I started this journey, there was no grand plan. I was simply following Mike’s instructions: ‘You make films, make a film about this.’ And if I was going to use my name for anything, I should use it to raise awareness of motor neurone disease.
That was always the purpose, but the story has taken on a life of its own. It’s become about more than the disease and grief. It’s about relationships, the fragility of life and remembering to actually live it while we can.
To hear how people have connected with that message, and in some cases made real changes in their lives because of it, has been a genuine honour.
Royd prepares to bungee jump – in a tutu, a challenge requirement!
GD: You’re part of the Tolkien family AND the Tolkien fandom family. What does the fandom mean to you? How have the fans – or the connections made through the fandom – helped you with your journey and your adventures?
The fandom means an enormous amount to me. I’ve been surrounded by it for as long as I can remember, the Tolkien Society gatherings in Oxford that we went to when I was growing up was the beginning for me. Because of that it’s always been a familiar and wonderful part of my life.
And I completely understand the passion because I’m a fan myself. What makes it so special is that it really does feel like an extended family. I’ve made lifelong friends through our shared love of Tolkien, and those friendships have been a huge part of my life and, in many ways, my own adventures.
I was lucky enough to spend International Hobbit Day in Hobbiton recently with Jed, and we spent the day just hanging out with everyone. It was heaven. There’s something incredibly comforting about being surrounded by people who share that same enthusiasm and love for something. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your background is, there’s an immediate connection.
It’s a wonderfully warm, welcoming community, and one I feel incredibly lucky to be part of.
You can watch the trailer for There’s a Hole in my Buckethere.
Experiencing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Live In Concert (Sydney, October 2026).
OF ROOTS AND BEGINNINGS
I’ve written over the years about how my journey into Middle-earth began, quite unexpectedly, of an autumn evening in 2001.
I was a young college student back then, in a little city in India, watching MTV after classes, when Enya’s May It Be came on. I was drawn in by the music, the imagery, and the world I glimpsed in that little 3.5 minute video.
I could scarcely have imagined then how far that moment would take me.
A quarter of a century later, here I was in Sydney, listening to the same music that had stirred me all those years back, performed live now by The Metropolitan Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonia Choir, the Sydney Children’s Choir, and a wonderful ensemble of vocal soloists.
As I sat in the darkened concert hall, I found myself travelling somewhere I hadn’t expected. Not merely back to the familiar lands of Middle-earth, but through the years of my own life, to people and places, friendships and memories, some now distant in both space and time.
For all my years loving these films and their music, the opportunity to experience The Lord of the Rings score performed live had somehow always eluded me. I had attended other Tolkien-inspired productions over the years of course, but never one in which Howard Shore’s magnificent original score was performed live to the very film for which it was written.
And so, despite knowing every familiar melody, every musical passage and lyric, and every moment of the film by heart, this was, in a very real sense for me, a first encounter with The Fellowship of the Ring all over again.
MEMORIES IN MUSIC
Howard Shore’s score has always been, for me, the soul of Peter Jackson’s films.
As most of us can attest from our own experiences, the music doesn’t merely accompany the story. It imparts a layer of something ancient and beautiful passing slowly through time, and beyond time.
There was the gentle, pastoral melody of the Shire, the melancholic strains of Rivendell, the ancient dread of Khazad-dûm, the haunting enchantment of Lothlórien, the alluring notes of the Ring, and so many moments.
Even after all these years, the music retained its power to thrill.
And, on this occasion, to remind…
As the Fellowship emerged from the Mines of Moria, broken by Gandalf’s Fall, I found myself recalling a conversation from many years ago with Aivale Cole, whose extraordinary voice gave that scene its heartbreaking lament in the original film. I had interviewed Aivale for TheOneRing.net as part of a series of interviews celebrating the music of the films. She had spoken of her excitement and nervousness recording with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and shared wonderful recollections of working with Howard Shore and Peter Jackson.
I remembered conversing with Miriam Stockley, whose ethereal voice accompanied the Fellowship into Lothlórien;with Hilary Summers, who sang the deeply moving Gilraen’s Song (featured in the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring); and with Sheila Chandra, whose haunting performance of The Breath of Life in The Two Towers gave voice to Arwen’s longing for Aragorn.
And then there was a most lovely interview with Plan 9 (David Donaldson, Stephen Roche, and Janet Roddick) who together with David Long, gave Middle-earth so much of its organic character. From the joyous festivities of Bilbo’s birthday party (remember the music for Frodo’s “chicken dance”?) to the haunting Elvish voices heard as Frodo and Sam watch the Wood-elves departing Middle-earth (featured in the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring), their compositions helped make Tolkien’s imaginary world feel wonderfully real.
Each of these lovely musicians had shared something deeply personal of their creative process behind the music that millions have since come to love.
I was fascinated by their accounts of how they imagined the musical traditions of Middle-earth’s different peoples, and how they each sought to give the different cultures their own distinctive musical identities.
CHANCE MEETINGS
My thoughts also wandered back to New York Comic Con in 2012, where I had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting Howard Shore himself.
I remember how special it felt to meet the composer whose music had accompanied so much of my own journey into Middle-earth.
I was too shy to speak to Howard Shore, though. As I shook his hand, I had the distinct impression he expected me to say something, but all I could manage was a sheepish smile. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would adequately express what his music had meant to me over the years. I can only hope, even after all these years, that my smile conveyed at least something.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Doug Adams that day.
Doug had spent years painstakingly exploring and documenting the score’s intricate themes, musical architecture, and lyrics.
His book The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, now in its 16th year of publication, illuminates the extraordinary musical world Shore created. It is still, to me, a masterpiece in itself, and in my opinion, a must-have for any fan of these films and its music, whether serious or casual.
My many conversations and encounters with these remarkable people had become part of my own history with Middle-earth, just as surely as the films themselves had.
And, back then, we were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the films.
Now, somehow, we are celebrating their 25th!
Where did all those years go?
THE VOICES THAT CARRY US HOME
Returning to the The Fellowship of the Ring In Concert, a special word must be said for the singers who gave voice to Middle-earth that evening.
While the various choirs lent Shore’s music its grandeur, the solo performances brought a human intimacy to the immensity of it all.
I have always found something particularly poignant about hearing In Dreams sung by a child.
I remember listening to the original recording by Edward Ross all those years ago, when he himself was just a boy. His voice, so pure and wistful, became inseparable from the ending of The Fellowship of the Ring and from my memories of discovering the films.
I found myself wondering where Edward Ross might be now, what paths his life has taken, and whether he knows how many people still carry that song, and his voice, in their memories?
Hearing another young voice sing those familiar notes a quarter of a century later had me pondering… here was this young singer before me in a concert hall, who certainly hadn’t even been born when the original film was released. And yet, there she stood, a little person on a grand stage, giving voice to the same song that had resonated with an entire generation before her.
Perhaps that is one of the loveliest things about the timelessness of these scores… the voices change, the years pass, but the music remains, finding new singers and new listeners, laden with memories as people pass through it.
TheOneRing.net: A FELLOWSHIP OF OUR OWN
The music brought back more than memories of just the films. It reminded me of my years spent on TheOneRing.net since the early 2000s.
Of late nights spent on its forums having long conversations about Tolkien’s works, and friendships forged with people across the world whom I might never have otherwise met.
Of attending New York Comic Con with fellow TORn staffers, sharing in the excitement of being surrounded by people who understood why these stories mattered so deeply to us.
Of the laughter, the discussions, the arguments, the conventions, the anticipation of new films, and the wonderful sense of belonging to a community drawn together by a love of Middle-earth that never needed to be explained.
That is what TheOneRing.net has always meant to me. A fellowship, bound not by a quest, but by the stories we love and the friendships we’ve made along the way.
Some of those friendships have endured. Others belong to different chapters of life, separated now by distance, circumstance, or simply the passage of time. And yet, all are always just a melody away.
How fortunate we are that, every now and then, a familiar melody can bring us home to one another again, even if only in spirit!
ROADS GO EVER ON…
There were so many moments when the music transported me back to a younger version of myself – of ourselves – when so much of life still lay ahead of us, full of possibilities we could scarcely have imagined. And here we are now, living in that very future, even if it isn’t exactly how we imagined it to be.
I wonder if perhaps, as we grow older, we become more conscious of the distance between the people we once were, the people we imagined ourselves to be, and the people we actually have become?
When Enya’s May It Be finally filled the hall, I thought again of that autumn evening in 2001, of the young teen watching MTV, unaware that a song was about to open a door to an extraordinary world.
How strange to think that he and I are, in some ways, still the same person. Small and insignificant, and content to be so.
So much has changed since then. Homes, countries, friendships. The very shape of life itself.
And yet some things have remained remarkably constant. The music. The stories. The memories.
As the final notes of the music faded, I found myself reflecting on how many roads we all must have travelled since the first time we heard these scores.
Tolkien wrote it almost a century ago, and I have learned now that it is a simple truth indeed… roads do go ever on.
Forth Eorlingas! One of Rohan’s greatest heroes is getting ready to ride onto collectors’ shelves!
First shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the King Théoden Classic Series statue from Wētā Workshop immediately caught our attention, and now we’re excited to give fans an even closer look.
Thanks to our friends at Wētā Workshop, TheOneRing.net was lucky enough to get a special sneak peek at King Théoden, giving collectors a chance to see what this fantastic new statue is going to look like when it begins arriving in collections around the world.
We’re thrilled that Willie Jenkins, aka Knewbettadobetta, has joined the merry band here at TORn as one of our volunteer staffers. We’re always delighted when he’s able to join us on panels at events, and now from time to time we’ll also be sharing his thoughts here on our homepage. (Of course, you can always find all his reels on his own Tiktok any time you want to hear more from him!) Knewbetta joined us at Dragon Con this year – and he shares here his thoughts on the convention, and the fandom in general.
I’m Willie Jenkins, better known online as **Knewbettadobetta**, a *Lord of the Rings* content creator, lore enthusiast, and now a staffer for **TheOneRing.net**. This year, I came to Dragon Con 2026 with a particular mission: to do press for TheOneRing.net and to observe, experience, and better understand the connection—the symbiotic relationship, really—between the Tolkien fandom and Dragon Con.
What I found was something I already suspected, but seeing it firsthand made it impossible to ignore – and man was I hype.
Knewbettadobetta at Dragon Con
The Lord of the Rings community is at the heart of the fantasy community, and Dragon Con has become one of the places where that heart beats loudest.
There is something uniquely special about Dragon Con. It is enormous, chaotic, colorful, weird, welcoming, exhausting, exhilarating, and deeply communal. It feels less like a convention that you attend, and more like a temporary world that you enter. And in that world, The Lord of the Rings has a place that feels almost foundational.
Dragon Con itself is, in many ways, the heart of the “con” experience. It is a fan-made convention built around the idea that fandom belongs to the fans. You can find almost anything you could possibly be interested in somewhere within its sprawling ecosystem. Every interest has a home. Every niche has a gathering. Every kind of nerd has a place to lock in and be unapologetically themselves – and this is evident from the number of POC attendees each year growing and growing, who sometimes are scared to show that side of themselves. But news reaching back each year that this is a safe and fun space has reached far and wide. Dragon Con is one big fellowship!
And that is exactly why Tolkien fits here so beautifully.
Knewbettadobetta joins a Fellowship of fans
The Heart of Fantasy
Fantasy has evolved tremendously since Tolkien introduced generations of readers to Middle-earth, but The Lord of the Rings remains one of its great foundational works. You feel that at Dragon Con.
You see it in the costumes. You hear it in conversations. You find it in panels where people can spend an hour dissecting lore, languages, adaptations, characters, mythology, and the smallest details of Tolkien’s world. You see people gathering for photographs, marches, meetups, games, and themed events.
And then, just when you think you have seen every possible version of Tolkien fandom, another Aragorn walks by.
Or a Gandalf.
Or a Nazgûl.
Or an elf.
Or an entire Fellowship.
That is part of what makes Dragon Con so much fun. It has its own culture layered over all of these individual fandoms. There are the ribbons that people collect and trade, the infamous **Cult of the Carpet**, enormous group photos, spontaneous gatherings, parties, elaborate cosplay, and the wonderfully strange moments that can only happen when thousands of passionate people are packed into the same convention ecosystem.
Yet the Tolkien fandom doesn’t simply exist alongside Dragon Con’s culture. It participates in it, it contributes to it, it becomes part of the fabric. And this year, I got to experience that from an entirely different perspective.
The High Fantasy Track and TheOneRing.net
One of the things that stood out most to me was Dragon Con’s dedication to the High Fantasy Track and, specifically, its willingness to give High Fantasy a dedicated space where TheOneRing.net could join our fellow fans as part of Tolkien-focused programming. That matters. The Tolkien fandom is enormous, but depending on the convention, it can sometimes feel like the presence of The Lord of the Rings doesn’t match the size or passion of the fandom itself.
Dragon Con feels different. Here, Tolkien has room. And when you give Tolkien fans a room, they fill it.
This year’s panels on all things Middle-earth were amazing and, for me personally, deeply fulfilling. As a POC content creator, being given a space to stand in front of a large, engaged audience and talk about something I genuinely love was meaningful on a personal level.
But what made it even more special was the audience itself.
I was surrounded by some of the smartest, most knowledgeable, and most dedicated people in the fandom. The panel I participated in on ‘Delving into the Dwarves’ really stood out for me, with how many people were interested in the lore of the dwarves – and the love they had for the dwarves over even the elves (who tend to get most of the shine!). Being able to answer questions about peoples’ loves and validate their thoughts on their favorite characters, and give new insight, knowledge and perspective on a lesser known race in the fandom, was exhilarating.
These weren’t people simply showing up because The Lord of the Rings happens to be popular (although of course there is room for those folks, too!). These were people who care. People who know the lore. People who have spent years thinking about Middle-earth, discussing Tolkien’s work, debating interpretations, studying adaptations, and keeping the fandom alive. Being able to contribute to that conversation was an honor.
And it reminded me of one of the most beautiful things about fandom: You can be the person standing on the stage, but you are still one of the people in the room. You’re still a fan.
A Place to Lock In
That is another thing I love about Dragon Con.
You can spend one night completely losing yourself in the experience, and then somehow wake up the next morning, find your coffee, put yourself together, and lock right back into your niche. That’s Dragon Con.
The nightlife is vibrant, energetic, and incredibly freeing. There is something about being surrounded by thousands of people who are also temporarily stepping outside the normal rules of everyday life. You can dance – and you better believe I danced lol, being from New York and the hip hop culture I loved the vibes at night, and the willingness of everyone to let loose and dance the night away.
You can dress up. (I’m still working on this – lmao my inner cosplay self has yet to come out!)
You can be ridiculous.
You can be dramatic.
You can be weird.
You can be your entire self.
And for a lot of us, that freedom is more important than we realize.
Life accumulates stress. Work accumulates stress. Responsibilities accumulate stress. The little frustrations and anxieties of an entire year can pile up until you don’t even realize how badly you need to exhale. Trust me, this has been one hell of a year for me – but while I was a Dragon Con I was totally free.
Dragon Con gives you a place to exhale.
The closest we’ve got Knewbettadobetta to cosplay – so far…
Then, somehow, the next morning, you wake up and do it all again. Except now you’re sitting in a panel listening to someone explain an obscure piece of fantasy lore that you have been thinking about for months.
Or you’re raising your hand to ask a question.
Or you’re sitting in the audience completely enthralled by somebody else’s passion – which is one of the most refreshing things about the whole con.
If you’re lucky enough to be a panelist, you’re standing in front of a room trying to articulate why the thing you love matters so much.
That duality is one of Dragon Con’s greatest strengths – you can play hard, nerd harder.
And then there is An Evening at Bree
If you want to understand the love the Tolkien community has for this fandom, spend a night at Bree.
The annual High Fantasy Track party, hosted by TheOneRing.net, has become one of the highlights of Dragon Con’s Tolkien experience – for some, a highlight of the whole convention – and this year’s event was no exception.
Dragon Con provides a phenomenal ballroom, security, crowd management, and line organization that allows an event like this to operate smoothly despite the sheer number of people who want to attend. The result is a party that feels both massive and intimate at the same time.
And the attendees bring it.
People show up in full Lord of the Rings attire. Costumes range from recognizable characters to wildly inventive interpretations of Middle-earth. You see the creativity and craftsmanship of the fandom everywhere you look. The ‘sexy’ versions of these characters are quite the sight! Then you can turn around and see a cosplay that took the wearer months to make, and might be some of the most complex and beautiful and thoughtful cosplays you ever seen in your life; and the beauty of it is that they both are just as valid as the other.
A fabulous Barad-dûr cosplay at the Evening at Bree
Then the music starts. People dance, sing, laugh. For a few hours, everyone gets to forget about whatever is waiting for them outside the convention.
You don’t just feel like you’re attending a party with a Tolkien theme. You feel like you’ve stepped into The Prancing Pony.
The bands who played throughout the evening (The Brobdingnagian Bards, Landloch’d, and Beth Patterson) delivered infectious songs, sometimes directly inspired by the world and themes of Lord of the Rings, reinforcing that strange and wonderful feeling that the ballroom had somehow transformed into Bree.
This year’s cosplay contest was particularly fun, refreshing, and beautifully hosted by TORn’s own greendragon! And then, an Elf Choir performed.
It was mesmerizing.
For a moment, the party became something else entirely. The noise and excitement gave way to voices coming together, and the result felt almost reverent.
It was a beautiful reminder that fandom isn’t only about consuming stories. Sometimes it’s about creating something together – and I felt right at home. Leaving the event, a couple of fans cosplayed as the Argonath – and stood by the steps leading away from the ballroom, on either side, arms outstretched. The sight left me in awe – and brought so much weight and magic to the night. These are the special little things that make Dragon Con different.
Cosplayed Argonath
Tolkien Belongs Here
One of the most encouraging things about Dragon Con is seeing how naturally Tolkien fandom fits into the larger convention culture.
The same people collecting Dragon Con ribbons are wearing Hobbit costumes. The same people participating in giant convention photo shoots are organizing Tolkien group photos. The same people attending parties until the early hours of the morning are showing up the next day for lore-heavy panels.
There are Tolkien meetups. There are marches. There are games. There are cosplay gatherings.
There are discussions that go deep into the mythology and history of Middle-earth.
There are people who have spent years studying Tolkien’s writings, sitting alongside people who just discovered the world through an adaptation.
And somehow, it works. That’s fandom at its best.
Dragon Con understands that a convention doesn’t have to choose between being broad, and giving individual fandoms meaningful space. You can have thousands of different interests under one roof, while still allowing communities to develop their own identities. You don’t feel tied down or forced into a time slot, or forced to pick a fandom. Any and everything goes here and all are welcome – no matter your level of knowledge of a thing. If you like it, they love it for you, and let you into the fold.
That is particularly important for Tolkien fandom – because The Lord of the Rings isn’t simply another fantasy property. It is one of the pillars upon which modern fantasy fandom was built. So when Dragon Con gives Tolkien fans a home, it isn’t merely acknowledging a popular franchise. It is nurturing one of the traditions that helped make the fantasy community what it is.
The Symbiotic Relationship
That was ultimately what I came to Dragon Con to examine: What is the relationship between Tolkien fandom and Dragon Con?
After experiencing this year’s convention as a TheOneRing.net staffer and content creator, I would describe it as symbiotic.
The Tolkien community – like many other fandoms represented there – brings knowledge, creativity, cosplay, scholarship, humor, passion, and history to Dragon Con.
Dragon Con provides the infrastructure, audience, space, and community for that passion to thrive.
Each benefits from the other. Dragon Con gives Tolkien fandom a platform; Tolkien fandom gives Dragon Con another deeply passionate community that contributes to the larger culture of the convention.
Middle-earth cosplayers for Dragon Con’s annual ‘Bunny Hutch’ party
That relationship becomes especially important as new Tolkien media – and new generations of fans – continue to emerge. Fandom doesn’t stay alive simply because a story was popular decades ago. It stays alive because people keep talking about it.
They keep creating.
They keep dressing up.
They keep writing.
They keep making videos.
They keep hosting panels.
They keep asking questions.
They keep arguing about lore.
They keep singing.
They keep dancing.
They keep showing up.
Dragon Con creates a place where all of that can happen, in one long weekend.
The Heart Still Beats
My time at Dragon Con 2026 left me with a pretty simple conclusion:
The Lord of the Rings community is the heart of the fantasy community, and Dragon Con is one of the places where that heart can beat loudly, proudly, and freely.
There is something incredibly powerful about seeing Tolkien fandom represented alongside the countless other communities that make Dragon Con what it is: the Klingons, the Whovians, the robot builders, the horror lovers…
The ribbons, the giant photoshoots, the meetups, the panels.
The late nights and the early mornings!
The bizarre conversations with strangers that somehow become friendships. (We literally found another group from asking about their Dungeon Crawler Carl attire and boom! – we were inseparable the entire con!)
Friends old and new
The moments where you realize you have been standing in a hotel hallway for forty-five minutes talking about a fictional language.
That’s Dragon Con. And that’s Tolkien fandom.
Both are built around the same fundamental idea: people who love something coming together and turning that love into a community.
Dragon Con is a fan-made convention where you can find a place for almost anything you love. It is wonderfully expansive without losing the intimate feeling of fandom. I was proud to be there this year representing TheOneRing.net, not just as a content creator, but as a fan. And it is good to see Dragon Con continue to show focus and dedication to one of fantasy’s great mainstays.
Because Middle-earth isn’t going anywhere.
The fans aren’t going anywhere.
And as long as there are places willing to give that fandom room to gather, create, celebrate, debate, dance, sing, dress up, and tell stories of its own, the heart of fantasy will keep beating.
In the South transept of London’s Westminster Abbey you can find Poets’ Corner – an area filled with memorials and commemorations. From Geoffrey Chaucer – who was interred in the Abbey in 1400 – to, most recently, Beatrix Potter (whose memorial was unveiled in 2024), Poets’ Corner contains fascinating burials, plaques and statues.
To be fair, Chaucer was interred in the Abbey because he was Clerk of Works for the Palace of Westminster. A new tomb was erected – and his remains moved – in 1556; Edmund Spenser was then buried nearby in 1599, and so began the tradition of writers being commemorated in that area of the Abbey (along with the various Canons and Deans buried there – and one actor, Laurence Olivier).
In 2027, J. R. R.Tolkien will receive a memorial in Poets’ Corner – not far from his dear friend C. S. Lewis, whose marble stone was added in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death. The installation of Tolkien’s memorial will be next Spring; 2027 is the 90th anniversary year of publication of The Hobbit, and the 50th anniversary year of publication of The Silmarillion. Tolkien’s memorial will be 2.5 metres (just over 8 ft) tall, and will capture his love of trees – as well as reflecting his own artwork. Read all about this wonderful memorial here.
Stephen Broadbent working on a prototype of the Tolkien memorial, August 2026.Credit: Jonny Nolan
Tolkien of course is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, together with his beloved wife Edith. Lewis is also buried in Oxford – in the church yard of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry. Now the two Inklings will be commemorated near one another. One likes to imagine what they might say, over a pint at The Eagle and Child, if they knew such honour would be accorded them. It might be a source of surprise and amusement – but certainly of pride. We look forward to visiting the Professor’s memorial in the Abbey next year.
