Culture

How to Watch the Star Wars Celebration Livestream

This year's Star Wars fan convention in Chicago is sure to be full of surprises—and a first look at Episode IX.
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Fans cosplay at Star Wars Celebration, which is happening this week in Chicago.Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images

Just as millions of monarch butterflies migrate to Piedra Herrada each winter, thousands of Star Wars faithful have descended on Chicago for Star Wars Celebration 2019. But if you couldn't make the trip—or very reasonably had something else going on—you can watch the five-day festival from the comfort of your computer, starting at noon Eastern time Friday. Yes, that's when they’ll be talking about Star Wars: Episode IX. You can follow along live right here:

[#video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/RnhiLZOprZE

What kind of tidbits can you expect from that kickoff panel? Director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy will be on stage, potentially presenting both a teaser trailer and a name for the last chapter in the new Star Wars trilogy. (Revenge of the Porgs?) If you just can't wait, here's some rampant speculation to whet your appetite. Update: We have a name and a trailer! Get ready for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker later this year:

[#video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/adzYW5DZoWs

Future livestreamed Star Wars Celebration events—you can catch the whole schedule here—will focus on the small screen, live attractions, and everything in between. At a panel streaming at noon Eastern Sunday, Jon Favreau will hopefully give the first substantive look at The Mandalorian, a live action series debuting on Disney+ on November 12. Later that day, at 4:30 pm Eastern, producer Dave Filoni will offer a sneak peek of the return of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which will also be found on Disney+.

Videogames? Videogames! A streamed panel on Saturday at 2:30 pm Eastern focuses on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, from the same studio that brought you the delightful Apex Legends. Amusement park experiences? Amusement park experiences! At noon Eastern on Saturday, you can get an inside look at how the boffins at Disney World brought Star Wars to life in its upcoming "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" attraction.

And to cap things off—and feel incredibly old—you can tune into a panel celebrating the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at noon Eastern Monday. Just please be kind about JarJar.

If nothing else, it's worth keeping up with Star Wars Celebration to fully grasp just how all-encompassing the franchise has become—and hopefully, how gripping its mythology still is across a host of media. Sure, you can't score any autographs from the comfort of your couch, but at least you don't have to stand in line.

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