Polaroid Presents: PolaCon NYC 2026

Ladies and gentleman and everyone above and beyond: We are thrilled to invite you to the FOURTH PolaCon to EVER be held in NYC! Instant Film Society, Brooklyn Film Camera, and Polaroid are joining forces to bring you the biggest and best PolaCon yet. Please join us from May 29 - 31, 2026 for three days of instant film delight.

See the full schedule below!

Want to present or lead a workshop at PolaCon? Register today!

Have a zine to sell? Personal crafts or other products to sell? Sign up to be a vendor at our Zines & Things swap meet!

Want to help PolaCon? Want to attend for free? Sign up to volunteer for a single 3-hour volunteer shift! One volunteer shift = a 3-day pass!

What your 3-day pass gets you: Instant Film Society is a registered 501c3 dedicated to informing and promoting the art of instant film photography. Your pass supports our efforts AND supports the instant film community, supports the resources necessary to put on PolaCon NYC, and ensures the future of PolaCon. Thank you for your support!

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: Are you a student? Are you facing financial hardship? Unable to volunteer? NO ONE should miss PolaCon due to not affording a ticket. Thanks to our sponsors, we have a limited number of scholarships available. Send us an email with "Scholarship" in the subject line and we'll be happy to work with you.

Image by Ben Fraternale

Info: Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of your photoshoot? Do you experience feelings of dread in your darkroom or camera shop? Have you or your family ever photographed a spook, specter, or ghost? If the answer is yes, don’t worry—we called the professionals!
For this year’s PolaCon NYC, Instant Film Society is pleased to partner with the famous original NYC Ghostbusters to present a special Day Zero photowalk tour of iconic filming locations from the Ghostbusters movies. Attendees will be guided in style by the Big Apple’s most qualified paranormal investigators and eliminators and accompanied by Ecto-NYC, a replica of the 1983 Cadillac featured in 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.
This tour is free for PolaCon NYC ticketholders, but will include subway trips. Attendees are responsible for their own subway fare.

Info: Join us at 26 Bridge for Day 1 of PolaCon NYC! This day will feature a full schedule of workshops, expert-led demos, community, and even some surprises from our sponsor, Polaroid!

Info: Join IFS and NYC Instant Photowalk for an Early Bird Bridge Walk, on the Brooklyn Bridge! Get some extra views of the city and community time with fellow early birds. Meet at 119 Elizabeth St. Once the walk is complete, we'll head over to 26 Bridge for Day 2 of PolaCon NYC.

Info: Join us at 26 Bridge for Day 2 of PolaCon NYC! This day will feature a full schedule of workshops, expert-led demos, community, and even some surprises from our sponsor, Polaroid!

Info: Join Instant Film Society for a full day of photo walkin' NYC! Bond with your new PolaPals, or practice all the new techniques you picked up this weekend. Full detailed schedule for Sunday coming soon!

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Host or Publisher Instant Film Society