To anime fans in the Bay Area, Memorial Day weekend means only one thing: Fanime. The anime convention, which boasts the motto of “By Fans, For Fans,” returned for another four days of anime, cosplay, and celebrations of fandom. So, how was this year’s FanimeCon? Let’s explore.
So Much to Do, So Much to See
Fanime 2026 was held in the San Jose Convention Center, as it has been for years. The venue continues to be a great location, with two attached hotels, several others within walking distance, and plenty of food options, also a short walk away. (Unfortunately, the convention center’s own staff remained as unfriendly as always, although the Fanime staffers were much more polite and professional.) Within the convention center, the con made full use of the space provided, with multiple rooms for shopping, panels, and other activities.
In fact, Fanime was too large for a single convention center to maintain, so it also used the DoubleTree Hotel and Signia. The DoubleTree served as home to the convention’s more adult programming, including a convention casino, night market, and 18+ gaming. The Signia held its J-Fashion events, including a dedicated panel room and market.
Suffice to say, there was no shortage of activities to enjoy throughout the weekend.
Cosplay
C’mon, it’s an anime convention, you know there’s going to be plenty of amazing cosplays to see.
Yes, cosplay is a big part of Fanime, with attendees showing up dressed as their favorite characters throughout the weekend (with many even cosplaying multiple characters per day to get to all the gatherings they wanted to attend).
Every year, there are a few series that stand out as some of the biggest among cosplayers. This year, Uma Musume was a top contender, and Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End remained popular; there were also plenty of cosplayers from K-Pop Demon Hunters, Dandadan, and Witch Hat Atelier. Of course, Fanime attendees didn’t limit themselves to just the latest and most popular series, as attendees cosplayed from classic anime and video games, lesser-known favorites, new series growing in popularity, and more.
Cosplayers could meet up and connect with fans of the same series at cosplay gatherings, held throughout the weekend and across the convention center. Cosplay gatherings are always a great way to meet fellow fans, reunite with old friends, and make new ones, as cosplayers posed for photos together and united in their love of the same series.
And of course, many cosplayers broke out their best outfits for the Masquerade. There, their craftsmanship was judged by a panel of experienced cosplayers, and they took to the stage to show off their stuff or perform for the crowd. The Fanime Masquerade is always a big draw, and competitors go all-out with their costumes.
If any cosplays were broken, the Cosplay Lounge included a repair station where attendees could quickly get their repairs. It also served as a nice break spot for cosplayers who just needed to sit down and take their wigs off, making it a welcome sight for attendees.
(Keep an eye out for our cosplay gallery, coming soon…)
Panels
A big part of Fanime’s “By Fans, For Fans” philosophy comes through in the panels. Fanime is known for having a ton of panels, including panels from the Guests of Honor and industry panels, but also plenty of fan programming.
Guest panels included Q&A sessions and career spotlights, but also fun panels like “Let’s Talk About Cats!” from guest Emi Lo. “Anime and Manga for Parents” from Gilles Poitras, and Zack Davisson’s “A Brief History of Yokai.” Industry panels, meanwhile, included topics like Central Computers presenting “Build Your Final Form,” and a panel on manga from Dark Horse Comics.
The fan panels were the most plentiful, covering everything from cosplay to demos to debates, and plenty of panels designed just for entertainment. A few standouts included “Anime Survivor,” “(Not) Cthulhu for President,” and the “Extremely Hard Anime Quiz,” but those are just at the tip of the iceberg. Attendees could learn about “A History of Gay Erotic Manga,” discuss “Yaoi: Is It Cringe?” or flashback to their younger days at “In My Toonami Era.”
And of course, there was the Cosplay Wrestling Federation, a two-night event where cosplayer competitors would cut promos and talk smack to earn the audience’s cheers or boos, with the winner claiming the CWF Heavyweight Title. This year, Carl Wheezer defended his title in a triple threat match, facing off against American Goku and Travis Touchdown, with Travis claiming the belt after a heated match. (Full disclosure: this writer is a member of the CWF and participated in both nights.)
Even outside of the panel rooms, attendees could check out Stage Zero, which was filled with performances, shows, and games throughout the weekend. Anyone walking by could see an idol group perform, dance demonstrations for the Black and White Ball, or guest interviews at all hours of the day.
Guests
Fanime typically brings a good variety of guests, and this year, it had a great selection of new and familiar faces alike.
One of the biggest guests this year was Yuriko Yamaguchi, the Japanese voice actress best known for voicing Ritsuko Akagi in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nurse Joy in Pokémon, and Nico Robin in One Piece. (Keep an eye out for our interview with her, coming soon.) Also joining her from Japan was Ai Nonoka (“Aipon” to her fans), known for her roles as Kyoko in Madoka Magica, Kafuka Fuura in Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei, and Konoka in Mahou Sensei Negima. Other voice actor guests included Emi Lo, who voices Lucy in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries, and Khoi Dao, voice of Albedo in Genshin Impact and Kuroko in Kuroko’s Basketball.
Outside of voice actors, Fanime invited ALI (Alien Liberty International) as a musical guest, and Mint Fantôme as a VTuber Guest of Honor. Industry guests included animator and director Hiroshi Nagahama, and writer/translator/lecturer Zack Davisson. Returning Guests of Honor included Gilles Poitras, Maguma, and VampyBitMe, who are familiar and welcome presences at Fanime.
Shopping
Fanime had several halls dedicated to shopping, as well as rooms at its offshoot locations for specialized needs. The biggest was the main Dealer’s Hall, where rows upon rows of vendors sold their goods. Attendees could buy everything from manga to figurines to props and wigs, or pretty much anything else their nerdy hearts desired, although shopping around to find the best deal is always recommended.
Across from the Dealer’s Hall, the Artist Alley was packed with fan artists selling their works and attendees ready to buy them. There were plenty of prints, handcrafted goods, and acrylic standees for sale, along with some stamp rallies for attendees looking to buy plenty of fan works for their favorite series. The artists selling there had some fantastic pieces on display, showcasing the skill and passion of fan creators.
On Thursday and Friday night, Fanime also hosted a Swap Meet, where attendees could make some sales of their own. It was a great opportunity for attendees to find great deals on older goods or to find a new home for the anime, manga, and toys they no longer needed.
In short: it was rare for an attendee to leave the con without at least a few new purchases to carry.
Games
Another large room was the Gaming Hall, which was filled with video games, tabletop games, and even an arcade. Throughout the four-day weekend, Fanime held a multitude of gaming events, including tournaments and chances to win tickets for prizes. There was also plenty of free play, with a library of games for attendees to rent and rows of monitors set up for modern and retro gaming.
Tournaments included fighting games, card games, and even mahjong. The gaming hall also included rows for indie games, where attendees could try out new games in progress from up-and-coming developers, and no shortage of free-to-play arcade games, along with a few pinball games.
At the back of the Gaming Hall, the Gaming Stage hosted a massive screen to show off live events, Jackbox games, and tournaments. Between the tournaments, it often featured attendees playing Rock Band… although it could have stood to lower the volume a little, as people playing card games on the other side of the hall couldn’t hear themselves talk over the music.
Noise levels aside, for anyone looking to enjoy any sort of gaming, the Gaming Hall had them covered. It was also one of the best places to go for evening entertainment, as it stayed open late into the night.
Park Con (Or: Why You’ve Been Seeing Posts About “Foot Juice”)
Fanime is not a 24-hour con (although it used to be), so what did attendees do after dark? While many returned to their rooms to rest up for the next day, plenty of attendees congregated at the park across the street for the unofficial event dubbed “Park Con.”
To be clear: Park Con is not an official event associated with Fanime in any way. However, because it happened near Fanime, at the same time as the con, and with mostly con attendees, it’s still worth mentioning.
Park Con was filled with activity, from the sound of multiple DJs blasting music to people chatting with friends to attendees playing video games in the park. The air was thick with smoke (what kind of smoke varied depending on where one was standing), and it was hard to tell what percentage of the attendees were sober. There was drinking, dancing, people hanging out in trees or carrying each other around; yes, the attendees used Park Con as an opportunity to really cut loose… which resulted in some major problems.
By now, the internet is already aware of the “foot juice” pictures from the event, but that wasn’t the worst health and safety problem of the weekend. There are also reports of violence, including someone having their face bitten. While it’s understandable that people will want a way to have fun past convention hours, these are safety hazards that will need to be addressed if it’s to continue.
To reiterate: Park Con was not affiliated with Fanime, and Fanime is not liable for anything that happened there. But Park Con clearly went a little too hard this time around, and if another one is attempted next year, we can expect a much heavier police presence.
And More
While those were among the biggest events at Fanime, it was far from all. Fanime was filled with things to do and see throughout the weekend, including:
- A car show for itasha cars decorated in anime wraps
- The Fanimaid Cafe, where attendees could sit down for a snack served by convention maids
- Manga Ichiba, a new event for English-language doujinshi (fan manga)
- A Manga Lounge where attendees could relax and do a bit of reading
- Karaoke
- The Black and White Ball
- Video screenings
- Speed dating, for anime fans looking to make a connection
- A stamp rally to take attendees around the convention
With all the activities to do, there was very little opportunity to be bored throughout the four days.
Overall
FanimeCon 2026 continued the convention’s streak. It remains a cornerstone convention of the Northern California anime scene, filling the weekend with activities, cosplay, and plenty of shopping. It brought in a great assortment of guests this year, and the panels and events continue to be entertaining and engaging. There’s a reason Fanime attendees keep coming back year after year.
