NotableOFFICIALAnime and model-kit convention · Tickets and programming
GUNDAM-Con 2027 opens its first ticket lottery and publishes three days of Makuhari stage programming
GUNDAM-Con 2027 Side Makuhari is Bandai Namco's January 9-11 celebration in the run-up to the Gundam franchise's fiftieth anniversary, spanning anime, Gunpla model kits, cards and games.
Round-one applications are open through September 6 at 11:59 p.m. JST, with results on September 15, for entry to Makuhari Messe Halls 1-3 in Chiba, Japan. Adult tickets cost 5,000 yen and child tickets 3,000 yen under timed entry; the January 9-11 program now includes Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO stages, game and card events, model-kit programming, attendee benefits, creator-illustration sales linked to autographs and a JTB tour package, while separate numbered-stage-ticket rules remain pending.
Why it mattersFans now have both a deadline for securing admission and enough daily programming detail to choose a date, but admission lottery success still does not guarantee access to an individual stage.
NotableOFFICIALTrading card game · Organized play and convention
NARUTO CARD GAME brings national finals and tutorials to London's Card Games Fest in January 2027
NARUTO CARD GAME is Bandai's competitive card game drawing on Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and Boruto, with a worldwide launch planned for summer 2027.
Bandai scheduled tutorials, national finals, side events and merchandise at ExCeL London Hall 1–11 from January 15 through 17. Tournament play requires advance registration and a tournament ticket; final schedules, capacity and commemorative-item details are not yet published.
Why it mattersThe program gives players an early, practical participation path before the worldwide product launch and distinguishes casual learning from ticketed competition.
NotableOFFICIALComic convention · First programming schedule
Super Jersey Comic Expo debuts panels and offers a nine-person Mallrats photo today in Hillsborough, New Jersey
Super Jersey Comic Expo says its move to Iron Peak Sports & Events lets the regional comics show offer panels, programming, meet-and-greets and screenings for the first time.
The expo runs August 29 from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. at Iron Peak Sports & Events in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, United States. Ticket holders can receive free professional cosplay portraits from 10 a.m.; at 1 p.m., a paid photo brings together nine Mallrats cast members, including Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams.
Why it mattersThe new venue changes the show from a dealer-and-guest floor into a programmed convention, while the full-cast photo creates a rare reunion opportunity; capacity and timetable changes remain possible.
NotableREPORTEDPop-culture convention · Artist Alley and voice guests
Animexgeek expands its Artist Alley and adds a medieval area for its September convention in Guarulhos, Brazil
Animexgeek is a regional Brazilian convention bringing together anime, games, comics, cosplay, K-pop, RPGs and card games.
The third edition runs September 26–27 from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. at Espaço Inter, Avenida João Cavalari 83, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil. Its expanded Artist Alley will include illustrators, comics artists, sculptors, craftspeople and designers, while a new medieval-fantasy area joins the program. Voice guests include Wendel Bezerra, known in Brazil as Goku and SpongeBob, and Felipe Grinnan, the Brazilian voice of Resident Evil's Leon S. Kennedy.
Why it mattersIndependent creators gain a larger selling and discovery space, while anime and game fans receive recognizable guest anchors and a new participatory fantasy area.
NicheOFFICIALAnime convention · Participatory manga contest
Animaga Melbourne adds a Clip Studio Paint one-page manga contest for its August 29-30 convention
Animaga Melbourne is an Australian anime, manga, gaming and cosplay convention; Clip Studio Paint is Celsys's digital illustration and comics software.
Celsys announced on August 28 that it is sponsoring a one-page manga competition themed The Path of an Idol during Animaga Melbourne on August 29 and 30. An anime-and-manga industry panel will judge the entries at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia; winners receive Clip Studio Paint licences and every applicant receives a short-term licence, though the sponsor page does not state entry deadlines or prize values.
Why it mattersThe contest gives convention attendees a same-day route to create and submit work for industry judging, making it a participatory creator opportunity rather than another stage or vendor listing.
NotableOFFICIALAnime convention · Musical guest
Milwaukee battle DJ Khek becomes Kumoricon 2026's Musical Guest of Honor in Portland
DJ Khek is a Milwaukee club and battle DJ whose residencies span emo pop-punk, country, Southeast Asian music and electronic dance music.
Kumoricon named Khek a Musical Guest of Honor on August 28 for the anime convention running November 13–15 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, United States. The organizer has not yet published his performance, panel, signing or other appearance times.
Why it mattersThe appointment broadens Kumoricon's music program beyond a single genre and gives attendees a new guest to track, but it is too early to choose a day around him.
NotableREPORTEDComics festival · Expanded multifandom program
RiojaCómic expands its October festival in Logroño, Spain, with more than 25 comics and fan activities
RiojaCómic is a government-backed regional festival connecting comics creators with manga, cosplay, games and pop-culture audiences in La Rioja.
A program presented August 28 sets the third RiojaCómic for October 15–18 in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain, mainly at the Instituto Riojano de la Juventud, with additional activity at ESDIR and the Biblioteca de La Rioja. More than 25 activities add board-game, video-game and K-pop spaces alongside manga, cosplay and LEGO, with creators Flavita Banana, Adri Torres, Quan Zhou, Cristina Durán and Miguel Ángel Giner Bou announced.
Why it mattersVisitors can now see that the festival is growing beyond a comics-only program and can plan for several venues, although individual session times and access conditions remain unpublished.
NicheOFFICIALPop-culture art expo · Anime guests and cosplay
Amazing Art Expo offers free weekend entry, anime voice signings and cosplay contests in Salt Lake City
Amazing Art Expo combines licensed and inspired pop-culture art with cosplay activities and guest autograph sessions.
The expo runs August 28–30 in Ballroom 254 of the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. An emailed three-day general ticket is free; Saturday and Sunday hours are noon–6 p.m., with optional paid early access. Jay Goede, the original Mewtwo voice in Pokémon: The First Movie, and Erik Kimerer, voice of Obanai in Demon Slayer, are listed for signings, with cosplay contests Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Why it mattersAnime and art fans can enter without a general-admission charge and plan around two recognizable performers, but should verify signing and contest capacity before travelling.
NicheOFFICIALLive fan festival · Comics, cosplay and K-pop
San Marino Comics opens its free August 28–30 festival across the City of San Marino historic centre
San Marino Comics is a city-centre festival mixing comics, cosplay, K-pop, music, exhibitions and guests in the Republic of San Marino.
The free festival runs August 28–30 across the historic centre of the City of San Marino, Republic of San Marino. Its official guide lists the opening for August 28 at 9 p.m. on the Campo Bruno Reffi main stage, daily exhibit and activity hours, maps and routes, and the cosplay contest for August 30 at 3:40 p.m. on the same stage.
Why it mattersWeekend visitors can navigate a dispersed city-centre event and time the main cosplay competition without buying admission, while checking the live program for changes.
NicheREPORTEDUniversity fan event · Cosplay and gaming
Friki UMAG schedules a free cosplay runway and Pokémon and Mario Kart tournaments in Punta Arenas, Chile
Friki UMAG is a University of Magallanes gathering for regional collectors, gamers, illustrators, cosplayers and anime fans.
The organizer-announced program runs August 30 from 2–8 p.m. in the university's covered courtyard and Ernesto Livacic auditorium in Punta Arenas, Magallanes, Chile. Admission is free; the cosplay runway and contests begin at 4 p.m., anime and game music follows at 5 p.m., and the day includes free Pokémon TCG and Mario Kart World tournaments, collector displays and retro or current consoles.
Why it mattersLocal fans have a precise, no-cost Sunday plan spanning performance, cards and console play, though tournament capacity still needs to be confirmed with the organizer.
NicheREPORTEDAnime fan activation · Free regional event
Kaiju No. 8 opens its first official Philippine fan activation in Quezon City
Kaiju No. 8 follows cleanup worker Kafka Hibino after he becomes a kaiju and joins the force that hunts those monsters; Animezing North turns anime properties into mall-based exhibits and activities.
Anime Corner reported from an organizer release that Animezing North: Kaiju No. 8 runs free from August 25 through September 9 at The Annex Atrium in SM North EDSA, Quezon City, Philippines. Billed as the anime's first official activation in the country, it provides interactive Defense Force zones, life-size photo installations and licensed merchandise; attendance, inventory and any future tour remain unverified.
Why it mattersThe installation gives Philippine fans an official physical franchise experience without an admission barrier and extends access beyond watching the series or buying a routine product online.
NicheOFFICIALMiniatures game · Community Q&A
Warhammer 40,000 opens Space Marines questions before a September 4 livestream
Games Workshop recently announced major October Space Marines rules changes, including stronger units and seventeen Firstborn moves to proxy or Legends use.
The publisher invited players on August 28 to email questions for a live Space Marines question-and-answer session scheduled Friday, September 4. The invitation does not contain new rules, guarantee selection of any submission or identify the topics that will be answered.
Why it mattersPlayers affected by the October changes have a direct opportunity to request clarification and a precise date for the next authoritative information.
NicheREPORTEDSame-day fan guide · Gaming and cosplay
North Shopping Jóquei holds a free Gamer Day and 6 p.m. cosplay contest today in Fortaleza, Brazil
Especial Dia do Gamer is a same-day mall event combining game activities with a public cosplay competition.
The event runs August 29 from 2–8 p.m. in the food court at North Shopping Jóquei, Avenida Lineu Machado 419, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Admission is free, Just Dance starts the program at 2 p.m., and the cosplay contest is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Why it mattersFortaleza fans have exact hours, a street address and a free-entry option for today's activities; entrants should still verify onsite capacity before travelling specifically for the contest.