Anime NYC’s Turnout Signals a New Era of Geek Fandom
Anime NYC isn’t even a decade old, but its explosive popularity has made it the East Coast’s largest anime convention, giving fans of TV, comics and games a place to gather. It is also the city’s second-largest convention, trailing only New York Comic Con.
| 26 Aug 2026 | 01:26
Three friends show off their cosplay: two Jujutsu Kaisen cosplaysSuguru Geto and Fumihiko Takaba surround Nico Robin from “One Piece.” (
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Two cosplayers pose together: one as Sora from “Kingdom Hearts” holding a keyblade (left) and the other in a blue and yellow outfit, dressed as Tai from Digimon carrying a yellow Digimon plush toy--his partner Agumon. (
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Two cosplayers dressed as the twin maids Ram and Rem from “Re:Zero” stand arm-in-arm in frilly pink and blue outfits at Anime NYC at the Javits Convention Center. (
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Zero Mauras is dressed as Crona from “Soul Eaters.” (
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One cosplayer is dressed as Keneau Reeves’ character Johnny Silverhand from “Cyberpunk 2077.” (
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Cosplayers as Gear 5 Luffy, Jewlery Bonney and Monkey D. Garp strike a pose. (
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A fan dressed as Wario, the evil doppelganger of Mario chats up a gothic bunny. (
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Professional cosplayer Dime Glass is dressed up as Spice Girl from “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.” (
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Cosplayers psoing, with the far left attendee portraying Maki Zenin from “Jujutsu Kaisen.” (
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Convention goers line up and plat a Taito arcade racing game featuring colorful cartoon characters with some riders on yellow scooter controllers. (
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An Anime NYC attendee cosplaying Miss Aisa poses beside a giant display of Turbo Granny in luck cat form from “Dandadan.” (
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Players compete in Taiko no Tatsujim, a Japanese drum game. (
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On the lower floor, Anime NYC had a gaming exhibit featuring both independent and international games. (
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A pair of cosplayers portray Kisuke Urahara in signature green-and-black attire with striped bucket hat and wooden sandals alongside Yoruichi Shihoin in a black bodysuit near the exit. (
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Two friends dressed up as Ace from “One Piece.” (
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At Anime NYC, a decorative piece of pottery was available at the artist’s shop booth. (
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Players step onto the Dance Dance Revolutin Extreme machine. (
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Anime NYC is estimated to have attracted and estimated 150,000 fans to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Aug. 20–23, burnishing its status as world class Anime destination.
The record setting total cements the four-day event as the largest anime-themed celebration on the East Coast and underscore how quickly the convention has grown since its 2017 debut.
A standard four-day badge for this year’s convention cost $185, or $201.42 with taxes and fees. The standard four-day and Anime NYC+ badges were sold out, as was the badge for the Saturday Aug. 22 day, which is considered the best news.
As Straus News previously reported, part of Anime NYC’s appeal is its emphasis on authenticity and inclusivity, creating a space where fans can celebrate Japanese characters and culture while interacting with others who share their interests.
For many attendees, that sense of community is central to the convention experience.
Stacy Jean, who was attending Anime NYC for approximately the fifth time and dressed as Vash the Stampede from “Trigun,” said she enjoys “Japanese pop culture” and attending panels and seeing her favorite voice actors.
“Basically, just having a good time, meeting other people that love anime, just like you do,” Jean said.
Zero Mauras, who has been cosplaying since around 2020 and was attending Anime NYC for the second or third time, encouraged attendees to reach out to people who appear to be alone.
“Honestly, if you see somebody standing alone, like, go up to them, say hi, compliment them,” Mauras said. “Because I know how it feels just to feel alone at a convention, but there’s so many like-minded people.”
The growth comes as Anime NYC enters its second year as a four-day convention—and as the cost of attending continues to rise. Its inaugural convention in 2017 drew roughly 20,000 attendees.
By 2024, attendance had surpassed 101,000 before jumping roughly 46 percent to approximately 148,000 in 2025, more than seven times its inaugural turnout.
But the convention faced an early test on opening day. Heavy thunderstorms and flooding hit New York City on Thursday, Aug. 20, just as Anime NYC got underway, with flash-flood concerns affecting travel across the region.
Dime Glass, a cosplayer and makeup artist who was dressed as Spice Girl from “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,” said her costume became significantly heavier after getting soaked.
“So, it was wet. My skirt was literally, like, soaking wet. It was like five pounds heavier after I walked back to my car,” Glass said.
Jean, who was dressed as Red Blood Cell from “Cells at Work!,” said her cosplay during the Thursday storm was relatively waterproof.
Anime NYC’s growth is also worth examining alongside Anime Expo, its much larger Western counterpart in Los Angeles.
Anime Expo drew more than 422,000 turnstile attendees during its July 2–5, 2026 convention, nearly three times Anime NYC’s projected 2026 turnout.
However, Anime Expo has had decades to build its audience, dating back to 1991, when it began as Anime Con before becoming Anime Expo. Anime NYC, by comparison, has reached its projected 150,000 attendees in less than a decade.
For some families, Anime NYC has also become a shared hobby.
Lexi Hellinger, a New York cosplayer attending with her parents, said she enjoys both cosplay and conventions.
Her parents, Alex Hellinger and Eve Helen Jones, said Lexi introduced them to anime and cosplay.
“Yeah, our daughter got us into it, so now we watch a whole lot of anime, and we enjoy coming to these things,” Jones said.
Glass, who uses cosplay to practice her professional makeup and prosthetic skills, also emphasized enjoyment over obligation.
For newer cosplayers, attendees said the focus should be on having fun rather than creating a perfect costume.
Mauras, who was dressed as Crona from “Soul Eater” with Ragnarok as part of the cosplay, said preparation is especially important.
“Definitely do not con-crunch. I repeat, do not con-crunch,” Mauras said, referring to the practice of rushing to finish a costume immediately before a convention.
Anime NYC is also serving as a platform for independent creators and game developers.
Many of them are imported directly from Japan.
Marcus Pleasant, creative director of “Fighter’s Forge,” said his team attended the convention to introduce the game to potential players and increase wish-list interest.
Pleasant said the project began as a solo development effort by his partner, Talal, approximately three years ago.
Pleasant joined the project about two years ago as creative director, and the team has worked on it part-time.
The game is intended to recreate a retro gaming experience inspired by the Dreamcast era, while bringing back couch co-op gameplay.
“There are certain genres that get forgotten about, and not because they were bad or that people weren’t interested. It’s just that the industry moved in a different direction,” Pleasant said.
“So it’s worth creating those things that you kind of miss,” he added. “That’s where we want to fill that chasm that gaming has left in the arena brawler, beat-’em-up space.”