At the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con, music took center stage alongside traditional pop culture fare, showcasing the event’s evolution into a major hub for musicians and multimedia collaborations. Legendary punk band Green Day surprised fans with a rooftop ice cream truck concert at Petco Park to promote their upcoming film, Nimrods, which chronicles teenagers on a road trip to open for the band. The event drew huge crowds as Green Day performed hits like "Basket Case." The band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s cover group, The Coverups, also played the night before at the Fandom party, joined onstage by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson for a special set.

Comic-Con also marked historic firsts, such as K-pop sensation ENHYPEN hosting the first-ever K-pop panel in Ballroom 20 to promote their HYBE-backed animated webtoon series, DARK MOON: The Blood Altar. The seven-member group not only engaged in a panel with Twilight film cast members but followed up with a dedicated showcase concert, DARK MOON BLOOD NIGHT, performing fan favorites like “Bite Me” and “Karma.” Similarly, Filipina pop group BINI made history as the first musical act to perform at the DreamWorks Animation panel for the film Forgotten Island, which highlights Filipino culture and is slated for release in September.

Music and comic storytelling converged in other powerful ways, notably via Z2 Comics’ collaborations that brought musicians like Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante into the graphic novel realm. This initiative included appearances and signings, expanding artists’ reach into new fanbases at Comic-Con. Meanwhile, notable performances and events honoring major franchises occurred, such as the Transformers 40th Anniversary “Apology Tour” concert at the House of Blues featuring rock veterans including Stan Bush and Sebastian Bach, plus the headlining of Thrilljoy’s Rock the Block Party by Bowling for Soup with crowd-pleasing hits like the Phineas and Ferb theme.

Adding to a diverse musical lineup, rapper and actor Common performed at Apple TV+’s _Silo_ activation, energizing fans with songs like “The Light” and a dance-off with a Lorax cosplayer. Other artists with notable Comic-Con presence included Blink-182, who marked their 25th anniversary with a PAC-MAN themed booth and autograph signing, as well as Shaboozey, who debuted his graphic novel _The Outlaw Cherie Lee_ alongside a music album release. Altogether, these cross-industry collaborations and performances underscored Comic-Con’s growing integration of music into its expansive entertainment tapestry during the July 23-26 event.