It's time to mentally prepare for Leicester's first ever Horror Con which will be creeping up on the city this weekend.

Fans of the genre will find themselves favourably fearful as they unite at the first ever Leicester Horror Con event this weekend on Saturday, June 22.

Mostly set within the 600-year-old walls of Guildhall, with some events hosted at Firebug, and run by horror film fanatic Nathan Leverton, 39, guests will be exposed to a range of memorabilia and special guests in a spine-chilling location.

Nathan, who lives in the city centre, is focusing on the genre after previously organising events including the city’s first ever Comic Con and a charity boxing night in support of for Rainbows.

He said: “Horror is probably the genre with the most devoted following. I think there’s a big horror community in Leicester and I’ve had lots of messages about how excited people are.

“Horror films allow us to face death and the darkest parts of the human experience in a safe way knowing the credits will role at the end.

“They are often a reflection of the times we live in and horror film makers take bigger risks and experiment more than in more mainstream films.

“I dabble in pop culture events and there doesn’t seem to be many horror cons in the UK so I wanted to bring something new to the city.”

The event is now sold outwith tickets priced at £6.66.

But LeicestershireLive can confirm people without a ticket will be able to visit the Dark Market from 4pm-5pm free of charge.

Here’s what to expect this Saturday.

A haunted building

The Grade I-listed Guildhall is no stranger to the paranormal. It’s infamous as Leicester’s most haunted building and had an episode of Most Haunted dedicated to it.

There are apparently five ghosts - and even the spirits of a cat and a dog - who wander its halls.

Nathan said: “I went to have a look at Guildhall as a venue for Leicester Horror Con and booked it straight away. It’s got a lot of character and history.”

The Dark Market

The highlight of the convention, the Dark Market, will present the UK's best horror traders.

Artwork, posters, toys, comics, books, DVDs/Blu-rays and more will be on sale throughout the day.

There will be independent traders such as Alleycat Graphics, Last Shirt on the Left, and Midnight Media, as well as local distributor 88 Films.

Bringing cash is advised for purchasing at independent stalls.

Five special guests

Special guests include Ian Whye (Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Alien vs Predator), Jarred Blancard (IT, The Crow, Stairway to Heaven), Craig Conway (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Doomsday), Hugo Myatt (Knightmare), and Madeline Smith (The Vampire Lovers, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell).

There are still photoshoot slots available for pre-booking with special guests priced from £10.

De Montfort University will also be attending displaying its exhibition of Hammer Horror archive items.

Creepy cosplay

Guests are encouraged to let out their inner dark side by dressing up, but there are some rules that apply.

No nudity or realistic weapons will be accepted.

Large costumes and props will not be suitable due to Guildhall’s narrow corridors and carefully looked after interiors.

Cosplay does not equal consent, so guests are reminded to ask before taking photos with other cosplayers.