September 18 – 19, 2026
Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
WHAT IS THIS?
This is a community-organized Magic: The Gathering weekend in Greater Boston celebrating “Old School” Magic formats. Since 2018, LOBSTERCON has been New England Old School’s marquee event, continuing as an annual charity fundraiser for Room to Grow, a non-profit organization based in Boston.
An entry fee of $93.94 for all players will cover registration in any and all of the weekend’s events: the ATL Old School MAIN EVENT (Friday, September 18), the X-Point Old School American Open (Saturday, September 19), and the 4-Strip/7pt/Premodern Team Trios (Saturday, September 19).
Registration for Old School LOBSTERCON will open at 11:00am U.S. Eastern on Sunday, April 12.
THE EVENTS
Old School 93/94 Main Event (Atlantic B&R)
FRIDAY, September 18, 10:30am – 9pm. The 9th annual edition of our seafood-driven Old School charity tournament. The format for the main event will be Atlantic 93/94, no proxies allowed, and with typical EC/American reprint allowances as with past LOBSTERCON events: all original art, original frame, non-foil printings (including Revised, 4th/Chronicles, FBB/FWB, CE/IE, WC, APs) are allowed. Deck photos will be required, to be submitted before the first round of the main event.
This is expected to be the largest Old School Magic event held anywhere to date. Nine (9!) rounds of Swiss will be played on Friday, September 18, with a cut to Top 16 that will be played out on the morning of Saturday, September 19. Registration will be capped at ~330 players and there will be no waitlist or other accommodations after registration closes.
X-Point Old School American Open
Saturday, September 19, 10:30am – 8pm. The annual LOBSTERCON tradition continues with another big opportunity to jam this popular and accessible 93/94 variant. Deck construction rules at the X-Point Old School website. Tournament structure will be straight Swiss (7 or 8 rounds).
Old School / Singleton / Premodern Team Trios Tournament
Saturday, September 19, 3pm – 9pm. Returning for this year: Team Trios Constructed! In a Team Trios event, each player on a team of three plays a deck from one of three different formats, facing players from other teams playing the same format. The formats for this event will be 4-Strip (“Boreal“) 93/94, 7pt Singleton OS, and Premodern. Tournament structure will be five rounds of Swiss.
THE FOOD SITUATION
Lobster rolls will once again be available for lunch on FRIDAY, with pre-orders opening up about 10 days before the event. We’re also planning on running back the Friday night pizza order, no additional charge to paid registrants. Otherwise, the events will be “bring your own food,” with lists of take-out suggestions to be provided. Dedicated bartenders with a cash bar will be available throughout the weekend.
SPECIAL GUESTS: OLD SCHOOL ARTISTS
We’ll be joined by some early Magic artists at Old School LOBSTERCON 2026! The following artists will be with us in Boston, offering sigs and alters, selling their merch, sharing stories, and otherwise enjoying the weekend with our community. PLEASE NOTE that due to capacity constraints in the venue, only registered and paid attendees will be allowed in the event hall.
Mark Tedin
Tom Wänerstrand
Andi Rusu
Drew Tucker
Ken Meyer Jr.
VENDORS
LOBSTERCON will once again be joined by top-notch seller TOAMagic, offering a wide range of Old School singles throughout the weekend’s activities (Friday and Saturday). PLEASE NOTE that due to capacity constraints in the venue, only registered and paid attendees will be allowed in the event hall.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Best airport to fly into is Boston Logan Airport (BOS). We have an official room block at the Boston Marriott Cambridge at a base rate of $249 / night, available on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage booking as soon as possible, as the block will almost certainly sell out (well in advance of the August booking deadline):
The tournament venue is in Kendall Square, which is served by the MBTA Red Line, providing easy accessibility from other points in/around Boston, including Alewife Station parking garage and South Station. There will also be all-day off-street parking available at the One Kendall Square Garage — and the Dante’s discounted rate is BACK for 2026, with $10 all-day parking validation for LOBSTERCON attendees.
REGISTRATION FORM
Registration for Old School LOBSTERCON will open at 11:00am U.S. Eastern on Sunday, April 12.
The Sentinel 