Furry Weekend Atlanta Will Have Cheaper Tickets, For Now

Furry Weekend Atlanta CEO Ranan announced that prices for FWA 2026 ("Nowhere Inn Between") will increase twice by the time the convention happens next May. "Despite our most fervent wishes to the contrary, FWA isn't immune to the rising costs of goods and services," Ranan wrote in a letter to prospective attendees on June 30th, 2025, citing "inflation and increased tariffs [which] have impacted us just as they've impacted many of you."

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation noticeably rose due to a combination of factors. Before the pandemic, FWA's registration prices at all tiers roughly matched inflation, and afterwards had more significant year-to-year increases. Donald Trump's tariffs have yet to make a splash outside a few small sectors, according to CNN. Still, economists predict the effects will broaden as merchandisers work through their pre-tariff stock, with prices of consumer goods expecting to rise by the end of the summer.

Overall, in the past decade, FWA's general registration costs have outpaced inflation, judging by a review of historical data from the convention and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. (See the chart below.) The lowest two tiers of admission have nearly doubled since 2015. General registration for FWA 2016 began at $45. For FWA 2026, the initial price is $85, set to increase to $100 on August 1, 2025.

The initial rates of FWA 2026's lowest three membership tiers match their early-bird pricing from last year's convention. Because of this, attendees will not experience a price increase - as long as they register by the end of the July 2025. In the past, early-bird prices have typically increased slightly year-to-year. It's unusual, then, for the convention to match the previous year's early-bird prices before increasing them significantly.

Starting in March of 2026, the general registration fee will be increased to $120; the Sponsor tier will cost $200. The Gold Sponsor registration's price will increase more than any of the lower three tiers - up by $100 beginning August 1st (going from $500 to $600). Price-sensitive attendees may have to book tickets much earlier than in prior years because of this change.

Running conventions has gotten more expensive as inflation has risen and attendance levels have exploded. FWA 2025 broke the record for the number of attendees at a furry convention, at a staggering count of 17,736 furs. Ticket prices across the board are rising largely or in whole due to those two factors.

Very few con staff or volunteers are paid for their work at conventions; even at the highest levels, there is no compensation. It also means that the only way to reduce operating costs is to reduce the extent or quality of service. In other words, conventions are stuck between a rock and a hard place.