Anime Expo 2026 has officially wrapped, marking a milestone 35th anniversary for North America’s largest celebration of Japanese pop culture. The four-day convention, held in Downtown Los Angeles from July 2-5, welcomed turnstile attendance of over 422,000 fans from more than 65 countries—delivering an estimated $115 million economic impact to local hotels, restaurants, and businesses.
This year’s AX expanded beyond the Los Angeles Convention Center to occupy surrounding venues including Crypto.com Arena, The Novo, Peacock Place, L.A. LIVE, and a closed-off section of Figueroa Street. The sold-out event featured more than 1,400 hours of programming, including world premieres, exclusive screenings, live concerts, 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, and VIZ Media.
“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.”
Anime Expo will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 2-5, 2027, with credentials going on sale early 2027.
AX 2026 was a record-breaker in every sense—attendance, footprint, economic impact, and sheer scale. For fans who couldn’t make it, mark your calendars for next year. The con isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Source: Anime Expo
