Last updated on February 17, 2025
Box of Free-Range Goblins | Illustration by Chris Seaman
Ever wanted to have the MagicCon experience without having to leave your house? Then you might have enjoyed the original Festival in a Box, which WotC launched via their Secret Lair line-up two years ago. It was a collection of MTG products sold as a bundle, and aimed at small kitchen table play groups. The success of the first Festival in a Box has led to more, the most recent of which was announced recently on magicsecretlair.com.
What's in the Latest Festival in a Box?
Source: magic.wizards.com
No one quite knows yet! At least not entirely, as all anyone directly has to go off so far is a short preview page by WotC. It will contain packs of Mystery Booster 2 (likely a full box), which was a beloved but highly exclusive set mostly found at MagicCons. A box of it today would set you back a pretty penny (roughly $390).
The “Animar and Friends” Secret Lair will be included, with consists of five cards (likely six with a secret include) with a stylish, consistent aesthetic by artist Jack Teagle:
The Wizards announcement also hints at special promos with a few example cards, though it's unclear if these are all included with the product or if there's some other means of distribution.
What's Mystery Booster 2 Like?
Mystery Booster 2 was a highly regarded casual Draft set with four major selling points:
- It has white-border reprintings of powerful cards like Urza's Saga and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria.
- It sees the return of the iconic Future Sight card frame, which is featured on modern cards like Thassa's Oracle and Giver of Runes.
- There are seven “Alchemy Made Real” cards included, which bring certain cards from the Alchemy format to paper for the first time!
- Lastly (and most importantly), the set includes 121 “playtest cards,” which are basically developer tools that have been repurposed for public use! Think of them as a “beta test” for potential future Magic mechanics (Luxior, Ignited for instance led to The Aetherspark).
How Did Previous Festival in a Box Products Stack Up?
The previous release was actually two products, one of which was aimed at Commander players, and another at drafters. The contents of each were as follows:
Commander Fan Bundle
- 1 Mystery Booster Convention Edition booster box
- 4 Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate Commander decks
- 2 The Brothers’ War Commander decks
- 1 Traditional foil Arcane Signet
- 1 Relentless Rats
Drafter’s Dream Bundle
- 1 Mystery Booster Convention Edition booster box
- 1 The Brothers’ War Draft booster box
- 1 Dominaria Remastered Draft booster box
- 1 Traditional foil Arcane Signet
- 1 Relentless Rats
It's not yet known if this recent Festival in a Box will have two editions like the last one, or if the contents will be similar. The addition of the Animar Secret Lair is unprecedented, so stay tuned for more developments on what will be in it! Only that and one booster box of Mystery Booster 2 seem like sure bets.
Why Is it Themed After Chicago specifically?
This Festival in a Box comes two weeks before MagicCon: Chicago, which will feature Aetherdrift‘s Pro Tour and a number of other cool events. Thus it offers players a little slice of that MagicCon, delivered right to their home! Future Festival in a Box offerings for Las Vegas and Atlanta will have different theming to match those locations, as well.
How Can Players Buy it? Should You?
If you're interested in picking up this Festival in the Box, it will be available online for order on magicsecretlair.com, starting February 3rd, Sat, 9 AM PST. You may want to order quickly, as popular Secret Lairs are notorious for selling out fast.
Buying it is totally up to you! It's probably not the best purchase for just building a solo collection, but it looks like an awesome kitchen table product. Maybe pool together to buy it with some friends if you can? You won't regret it!
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