Two things about being the most enduring multimedia franchise in pop culture: Star Wars is everywhere, and Star Wars is for everyone. I’ve never doubted either of those things, but I’d encourage any sceptics to spend a few hours at any Star Wars Celebration. The moment that my dad and I heard that Celebration was coming to the UK for the first time since 2016, we knew we were going. I wanted to cosplay as one of my beloved gonk droids but shamefully couldn’t quite commit to wearing a bin on my head for two days.

That decision ended up being for the best. With my vision and mobility blissfully unimpaired I could fully appreciate the incredible cosplay commitment from many of Celebration’s attendees. Every queue was transformed into a visual feast of intricate, creative and beautifully crafted costumes that represented every corner of the extended Star Wars universe. The love for every outfit in Padme’s incredible wardrobe was wonderful, and I saw everything from Ewoks to Jawas, Wookies and Darth Jar Jar. Whenever I was feeling tired, overstimulated or anxious, spotting a new cosplay of one of my favourite characters (the more niche the better) put a huge smile on my face and reminded me why I was there. I only wish I’d directly complimented more people instead of pointing them out with hushed reverence.

“Every queue was transformed into a visual feast”

The initial main attraction of Celebration was undoubtedly the big panels, and we were lucky enough to win attendance at both Friday’s Lucasfilm Showcase (via livestream on a separate stage) and Saturday’s Ahsoka preview. I do believe the panel lottery is the fairest way to dissuade people from queuing at 5am, but I wish they’d made at least the showcase accessible to all attendees because the reveals, exclusive footage and access to an advanced Mandalorian screening really made our first day special. Experiencing that Mandalorian episode in a room packed with Star Wars fans was a lovely reminder of the joy of live, communal experience.

Inevitably, the show floor was crowded, congested and chaotic – which unfortunately left us with little time or space to browse. But despite not spending anything on merch, autographs or photos with guests, I still had a great time. The art show and droid-building exhibition were personal highlights, as well as the photo op with my problematic fave Max Rebo (pictured above). However, the best thing on the show floor was without a doubt the Celebration Live Stage. The setup made many of the most exciting attractions of Celebration accessible to everyone, livestreaming selected panels and bringing out surprise guests all day. This surprise rotation of the biggest stars in Star Wars live and in-person was thrilling, and my personal highlight was getting to honour Andy Serkis’s incredible work in Andor with a rousing “One Way Out” chant.

The one thing that made my first Star Wars Celebration so special wasn’t any of that, though. It wasn’t the exclusive reveals, the screenings, the guests, the cosplay. It was getting to share all of that with my dad.

“Star Wars…has this way of bringing people together”

During the Lucasfilm Showcase, the young cast members of Skeleton Crew were asked how they got into Star Wars. All three of them immediately credited their dads. A cheer for all the Star Wars dads rippled across the three stages and through the ExCel, and I shared a fond moment with my dad, sat in the chair next to mine. There’s a photo of us from twenty years ago where he’s leafing through one of his many Star Wars art books with me. At seven years old, one of the very first films I saw at the cinema was the animated Clone Wars movie with my dad; in my diary, there’s a lovely crude drawing of Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka with their lightsabers. Apparently, I “really really really really liked it” and gave it five stars. Fifteen years later, there we were at the Ahsoka panel, geeking out together about the first glimpses of my favourite padawan finally getting her own show.

Star Wars is for everyone. As I saw and felt time and time again at Celebration, it just has this way of bringing people together. Maybe it’s the memorable, endlessly quotable characters. Maybe it’s the cool space battles and laser swords. Maybe because it’s so imaginative, moving, camp and silly and wonderful and sometimes terrible but in a mostly endearing way. Maybe because it’s a constant in so many people’s lives. Maybe because it’s always, first and foremost, been about hope.

An event that was both international and intergenerational, Star Wars Celebration demonstrated the franchise’s immutable legacy and its exciting future, with many new series and films on the horizon. But for me and my Star Wars dad, our first Celebration was just that – a weekend spent celebrating this nerdy thing we love with the thousands of other people who love it too. This is the way of Star Wars Celebration.