This year's Comics Fair has plenty of things to celebrate, and it won't be holding back on that front. This will be the 30th edition of the competition, and it will be taking up even more space (as many as 19,000 square metres at the Fira de Barcelona, in Montjuïc), and showing that the comic sector is in fine fettle.

All that comes with an edition full of novelties, guests, exhibitions and activities.

First of all, the Comics Fair hopes to get more people involved, which is why it's been building up ties with other cultural industries linked to the world of comics. Such is the case with videogames which, as on previous occasions, will be in good supply at the fair. What's more, there will be a premiere of the videogame Darksiders II, with every ticket to the Comics Fair earning you 2x1 for the next Gamelab fair, which takes place in Barcelona from 27 June to 1 July.

Music and cinema

Music will also be playing a notable role in the event, with concerts from Lax'n'Busto, Teràpia de Shock, Avalanch and Los Coronas. In addition, Rock in Rio will be presenting a comic whose action is set at this music festival.

Cinema is another sector with strong ties to comics. This year Phenomena has prepared a triple-bill screening dedicated to robots, the big stars of the 2012 Comics Fair. It will be held at the Urgell cinema on Saturday, 5 May, and will feature back-to-back screenings of The Matrix, Westworld and Hardware aka M.A.R.K. 13.

Loads of robots

It has already been announced that robots will be the big stars at this edition of the fair. And a good example of that is the exhibition on that theme, entitled Robots en la seva tinta ["Robots in their ink"]. The festival, what's more, will also be holding the national robots competition, talks and robot-interactive spaces.

But that won't be the only exhibition on at the Fair. Don't forget to visit the one on Little Nemo, featuring Winsor McCay originals. The final touches are also being put on an exhibition dedicated to the recently departed Moebius, with originals by the author and dedicated cartoons from Spanish authors. And Cavall Fort will be celebrating its 50 anniversary at the Fair, with an exhibition featuring original pages and vintage editions. Luis Royo, superheroes and Spider-Man will also have their own space.

Celebrity guests

The guest list at the Comics Fair is as wide as it is fascinating. Its many cartoonists include Go Nagai (the creator of Mazinger Z), Milo Manara, Craig Thompson, David Lloyd, and Alessandro Barbucci.

And this year's guest country is China, which will be giving an exhibition on its brand of comics. The Fair also aims to become a "meeting point for professionals from over here and abroad", as the Director of the Comics Fair, Carles Santamaria, put it.