This post covers everything you need to know about accessing Moonlight Festival, Vendor Hall, and Hoppy Hour this year, including a brand-new ticketing process for Moonlight Festival and a return to physical queuing for the Vendor Hall.

Currently, we don’t have any intention in leveraging a virtual waitlist for any other events at Furry Weekend Atlanta 2026 - That being said, we know that sometimes we need to be flexible and the best-laid plans will sometimes change at a moment’s notice. Our Virtual Waitlist system has the capability to be rapidly deployed for other events that may need a waitlist due to unforeseen circumstances. Should we need to implement it for other events, we will give as much notice as possible and the process will be the same as explained below.

Read carefully, as there are steps you’ll want to take before you arrive at con.

🚨 TL;DR - What Changed for 2026

• Moonlight Festival → Free ticket required (claim in myFWA starting April 15)
• Arrival windows required → Show up at your assigned time
• No ticket? → Use Virtual Waitlist day-of
• Vendor Hall → Back to physical lines
• Hoppy Hour → Also requires a free ticket this year (release date TBA)

Moonlight Festival

Moonlight Festival is FWA’s signature After-Dark event, part Burlesque show, part fetish demos and performances, part drag show, and part rave, all under one roof. Rounding it out is an expansive vendor hall featuring vendors and experiences you won’t find anywhere else at con. It’s one of the most attended events of the entire weekend, and due to its popularity we’re making significant changes to how you access it for FWA 2026.

Making Saturday Night Better For You

After listening to your feedback from FWA 2025, we believe the best path forward is to make Moonlight Festival a ticketed event with a Virtual Waitlist option to help us better spread out attendance throughout the evening. To help you plan your Saturday night and spend less time waiting in line, Moonlight Festival will now require a free ticket with an assigned arrival window, with a Virtual Waitlist available for those who don’t secure a ticket in advance. This is designed to reduce wait times and get you through the door faster, so you can spend more time enjoying everything Moonlight Festival, and Saturday night at FWA, has to offer.

Not registered for FWA 2026 yet? You’ll need to be before you can claim a ticket. Moonlight Festival tickets are only available to registered FWA 2026 attendees, if you haven’t registered yet, now is the time. Register for FWA 2026 here.

Tickets go live on April 15th at 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You must have a valid FWA 2026 registration to claim a ticket, Moonlight Festival tickets are not available to anyone who has not registered for the convention.

Tickets are limited. While supplies last, each registered attendee may claim:

• One (1) ticket for themselves
• One (1) additional ticket for a guest

Tickets are non-transferable and are tied to your FWA registration. They cannot be given away or sold to another attendee.

Assigned Arrival Windows

Every Moonlight Festival ticket will include an assigned arrival window between 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM. Your arrival window tells you when to head to the entry line for the event. Please plan to arrive at or near your ticketed time, late arrivals are subject to availability and may be asked to join the Virtual Waitlist.

Moonlight Festival runs until 2:00 AM.

How to Claim Your Ticket (myFWA Walkthrough)

Tickets are claimed through your myFWA attendee portal starting April 15th. Here’s how the process works, step by step:

Step 1: Log in to myFWA and navigate to Events

Sign in to your myFWA account. In the menu bar at the top of the page, click the “Events” button.

Step 2: Find Moonlight Festival and begin sign-up

Moonlight Festival will appear at the top of the Events list. Click the blue “Sign Up!” button next to it to begin.

Step 3: Select the Moonlight Festival service

On the next screen, select the service titled “Moonlight Festival” to continue.

Step 4: Choose your arrival window

You will be shown a list of available arrival windows. Select the time that works best for you. Windows are available between 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM.

Note: From 6pm to 8pm we will be offering a “Shopping Only” experience for Moonlight, this allows you to check out the vendors even if you don’t want to stay for the party.

Step 5: Select your guest option

Indicate whether you will be bringing one additional guest or just yourself.

Step 6: Confirm your details

The next screen will have your Furry Name and Contact Information will be pre-populated from your myFWA profile. You will have the option to update your phone number (US or international) or email address to receive an additional copy of your ticket and confirmation information.

Step 7: Access your ticket

Once your ticket is confirmed, navigate back to the Events tab in myFWA. You will now see a green “Status” button next to Moonlight Festival. Click this to access your confirmation page and the QR code you will present at entry.

We strongly recommend saving or screenshotting your QR code before arriving at con in case of connectivity issues. For iOS users: you may also add your ticket to Apple Wallet.

Arriving at Moonlight Festival

Moonlight Festival entry is located on the International Level of the Marriott Marquis. Please arrive at the International Level at or near the time shown on your ticket to join the entry queue. Do not arrive early, please wait until your ticketed arrival window before heading to the International Level.

We will have a map coming closer to FWA 2026 showing you exactly where to go!

When you arrive, have your QR code ready, either from your confirmation message or from the Status page in myFWA. Your QR code will be scanned at entry, and your age will be verified using the FWA wristband podiums. Your FWA wristband and valid photo ID are required for entry.

Please plan to arrive at or near your ticketed time, late arrivals are subject to availability and may be asked to join the Virtual Waitlist.

Didn’t Get a Ticket? Join the Virtual Waitlist

If tickets sell out before you claim one, don’t worry, there will be a Virtual Waitlist available on the day of the event. Joining the Virtual Waitlist does not guarantee entry, but if space opens up throughout the evening we will let you know. We will do our best to get as many people in as possible throughout the night.

Here’s how to join the Virtual Waitlist on the day of the event:

Step 1: Navigate to Events in myFWA

On the day of Moonlight Festival, sign in to your myFWA account and click the “Events” tab in the menu bar.

Step 2: Select the Moonlight Festival waitlist

Find and select “Waitlist - Moonlight Festival” from the Events list.

Step 3: Select your party size

Indicate if you are bringing a guest with you. Standby registrations for Moonlight Festival may include up to one additional guest (two people total, including yourself.)

Step 4: Confirm your details

Your Furry Name and Contact Information will be pre-populated from your myFWA profile. You will have the option to update your phone number (US or international) or email address to receive an alert when it’s your turn to join the line. You will be able to check your place in the waitlist on the status page in your browser, but we strongly recommend providing contact information so you don’t miss your window.

Step 5: Check your status

If you provide a phone number or email address, you will receive a message with a direct link to your confirmation page where you can view your queue status at any time.

If you chose not to provide contact information, you can check your position at any time by signing in to myFWA, navigating to Events, and selecting “Status” next to the Moonlight Festival, Virtual Waitlist entry. This will show your current position in the queue, or let you know when it’s your turn.

When you’re notified it’s your turn: Head to the International Level of the Marriott Marquis and join the entry queue. Do not go to the International Level until you have received confirmation, either via SMS, email, or the Status page, that it is your turn. Have your QR code ready when you arrive. Your FWA wristband and valid photo ID are required for entry.

Accessibility Accommodations

Attendees with accessibility needs are welcome at Moonlight Festival and there will be a dedicated accessibility entrance available. However, please note that all attendees, including those with accessibility needs, must have a valid Moonlight Festival ticket or join the Virtual Waitlist to attend. The ticketing and Virtual Waitlist process is the same for everyone.

If you have accessibility needs, follow the same steps above to claim your ticket or join the Virtual Waitlist. When you arrive, do not go to the International Level, accessibility attendees should proceed directly to the Marquis Level of the Marriott Marquis at the time shown on their ticket, or once notified it is their turn via the Virtual Waitlist.

We will have a map coming closer to FWA 2026 showing you exactly where to go!

We know not everyone will be able to attend our Moonlight Festival, and we want Saturday night to be a great experience for everybody. While Moonlight Festival is underway, there will be plenty happening across our venues:

• 🎬 Rocky Horror Picture Show experience, Hilton Hotel
• Presented by LDOD!
• 🎵 Live DJs on the Atrium Stage, Marriott Hotel
• 🎵 Live DJs on the Club Stage, Hilton Hotel
• 🎵 Live DJs on the Salon Stage, Hilton Hotel

Full scheduling details will be published as we get closer to the event.

Hoppy Hour

What Is Hoppy Hour?

Hoppy Hour is FWA’s unique furry beer garden experience made up of local Georgia based small business breweries and cideries. You can get a taste of what Georgia has to offer without leaving FWA! This year we have more breweries than ever before and with a diverse range of beverage options (including non-alcoholic options). There is no ticketed entry cost for Hoppy Hour itself unless you want to participate in the 24 Carrot VIP experience, and you simply purchase the number of beer tickets you want to use.

A New Ticketing System for 2026

This year, similar to Moonlight Festival, Hoppy Hour will be a free ticketed event with limited capacity. Tickets will be available at no cost to registered FWA attendees, and they will be released through your myFWA attendee portal.

Vendor Hall

What’s New This Year

The FWA 2026 Vendor Hall is expanding into AmericasMart, a new venue space joining our convention footprint this year. More information about the Vendor Hall layout and hours will be announced in the coming weeks.

Returning to physical queues as the primary means of accessing the Vendor Hall was a direct response to your feedback, and we’re committed to making that experience as smooth as possible. Maps and walking route guides between our hotel venues and AmericasMart will be published ahead of the convention, and Wayfinder staff will be stationed throughout and between venues during the event to help guide you to the right place.

What are Wayfinders? Wayfinders are a new group dedicated to helping guide all our animals around the convention during particularly busy times. They’ll be wearing a brightly colored vest at various locations throughout the con.

Queue Lanes

When you arrive to join the Vendor Hall queue, there will be three separate entry lanes:

Please join the lane that matches your registration level. Your queue may be partially outdoors, but will be covered under normal conditions. If the line becomes too long it may extend into uncovered space. We recommend dressing appropriately for the weather and bringing water.

Will Vendor Hall Have A Virtual Waitlist?

Short answer: Only as a contingency plan.

We will have a Virtual Waitlist system available as a contingency in the event of significant line overflow or severe weather conditions that make outdoor queueing unsafe. We do not intend to activate it under normal circumstances.

If the Virtual Waitlist is activated, here’s how it works:

The Virtual Waitlist is accessible through your myFWA account from any web browser, no app download required. Every registered FWA attendee already has a myFWA account. Simply log in at any time to check your queue status and position.

When you join the Virtual Waitlist, you have the option to provide your phone number or email address to receive notifications when it’s your turn. If you prefer not to share that information, you can simply check your status by logging into myFWA directly, no phone number or email required.

If the Virtual Waitlist for Vendor Hall is activated during the convention, we will announce it clearly across all of our communication channels. You will not be placed into a Virtual Waitlist without warning.

More details about Vendor Hall hours, layout, and programming will be shared in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to our news posts and follow us on social media for updates.

Questions? Reach out to us via our contact portal.