Big Adventure at fairgrounds to combine music, comedy, comics, cosplay, gaming

Tickets are on sale for the Big Adventure music, comedy, dance, gaming and cosplay festival at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The popular culture mashup features Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse, Empire of the Sun and Phantogram along with comedians Patton Oswalt, Jim Jefferies, Natasha Leggero and Rhys Darby.

Big Adventure is slated for Nov. 3 and 4.

Synergy Global Entertainment, the Laguna Hills-based group behind the Musink Tattoo Convention and Music Festival at the OC Fair & Event Center and Ohana Fest in Dana Point, organized the event.

Festival producer Rob Tweedie said the combination of a Comic-Con atmosphere with a music and comedy festival makes Big Adventure unlike any event the organization has produced

“This is a unique take on what a music festival can be,” Tweedie said. “It’s music festival-meets-Comic-Con-meets-comedy.”

Festival-goers can expect three stages: music, comedy and dance/electronic music.

The Nov. 3 lineup consists of Empire of the Sun, Phantogram, Echos and Nvdes on the music stage; Oswalt, Baron Vaughn, Emo Philips and others on the comedy stage; and Bro Safari, Chime, Party Thieves, Rusko and Feed Me on the dance stage.

Nov. 4 features Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids, Allie X and Party Nails on the music stage; Leggero, Darby, Jefferies, Maria Bamford, Ron Funches and April Richardson on the comedy stage; and Bonnie X Clyde, Ducky, Luca Lush, Nitti Gritti and What So Not on the dance stage.

Darby, best known for his role as Murray Hewitt on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” said he’s excited about performing an act new to Southern California audiences.

“My style of stand-up, and the shows and films I am in, they generally correspond to that comic book mentality and geeky side of life,” he said. “I think it’s almost the perfect festival for me.”

Darby, who most recently appeared in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” describes his routine as a more theatrical form of stand-up. He acts out stories as characters and makes comical sound effects with his voice, something he’s done since childhood in New Zealand.

“In my very early days a lot of my stories would end with an explosion, and I portrayed it on stage,” he said. “It was my way of getting out of a joke.”

Aside from the performances, attendees can dress in cosplay outfits and meet comic book artists and writers from Marvel and DC comics in the “Artists’s Alley.”

Andrew Robinson (“The Fifth Beatle” and “Superman: Red Son”), Brian Level (“Amazing Spiderman” and “Avengers”) and Brent Schoonover (“Captain Marvel”) are among those expected to sell their work and sign autographs.

Panels with television and film stars are planned, as well as virtual reality experiences, laser tag and video game lounges.

Single-day general admission tickets are $39.50 and a weekend pass is $69.50. A single-day VIP pass is $99.50 and a weekend VIP pass is $198.50.

For more information and tickets, visit bigadventurefest.com.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot