From Anime Expo:
Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest celebration of Japanese pop culture, has officially concluded its 35th anniversary in Downtown Los Angeles. This year, the AX footprint expanded beyond the Los Angeles Convention Center occupying surrounding venues, including Crypto.com Arena, The Novo, Peacock Place, L.A. LIVE, and Figueroa Street closure. Organized by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the four-day, sold-out convention welcomed turnstile attendance of over 422,000 fans from more than 65 countries, delivering an estimated economic impact of over $115 million to local hotels, restaurants, and businesses. Anime Expo will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 2-5, 2027, and credentials for AX 2027 will go on sale early 2027.
Once again, this year’s show brought together fans, creators, and industry leaders from across the globe for a weekend filled with exclusive premieres, interactive panels, and immersive programming celebrating Japanese animation, video games, fashion, music, and art.
“It’s been a privilege to see Anime Expo continue to inspire and bring together a wonderful community of talented artists, creatives and fans in Los Angeles,” said Ray Chiang, CEO of SPJA. “We are very honored to spotlight and uplift the talent behind Japanese animation and pop culture for the past 35 years, and we look forward to doing so for years to come.”
The milestone event featured more than 1,400 hours of programming, including world premieres, exclusive screenings, blockbuster announcements, live concert and performances, cosplay showcases and special guest panels. Industry participants included Aniplex of America, Arc System Works America, ATLUS/SEGA, Bandai Namco, CD PROJEKT RED, Crunchyroll, HoYoverse, Hulu, KADOKAWA, Lucasfilms, MAPPA, NEXON Korea, Secretlab, Square Enix, Takaratomy, VIZ, and many more.
