Anime NYC Transforms To Four Day Convention

edited as of August 26, 2025

(New York, NY -- August 23, 2025) -- Following last year’s achievement of taking over the entirety of Jacob Javits Center, Anime NYC achieved another milestone. Starting this year, Anime NYC officially transformed into a four-day convention. For the very first time, attendees enjoyed four consecutive days of Japanese pop culture celebration from Thursday, August 21, 2025 through Sunday, August 24, 2025. In previous years, Anime NYC was held from Friday through Sunday. However, this year's event was held from Thursday through Sunday.

Upon Anime NYC’s announcement earlier this year, Thursday badges were added on the roster. Thursday, August 21 was Preview Day for AnimeNYC, and Thursday badges provided attendees access to a preview of this year's event. Preview Day took place on Thursday, August 21 from 4PM - 8PM, featuring several programmings and panels to kick off this year's event including Ribbon Rally Meetup and Netflix's panel featuring sneak peeks of shows such as Sakamoto Day, Splinter Cell, and Blue Eye Samurai.

AnimeNYC offers a unique cultural experience that celebrates Japan and its impact in New York City and the United States. Since 2017, over thousands of attendees traveled from around the country and globe to celebrate Japanese pop culture through a variety of programmings, exhibits, Japanese food court, exclusive screenings, and appearances by special guests from Japan. Attendees cosplayed as their favorite characters from popular TV and video game series including Hazbin Hotel, Sailor Moon, Pokémon, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Helluva Boss.

New additional features debuted at this year's event including the Tranquili-TEA Lounge (powered by Ito-En) and the Quiet Room to allow attendees to unwind and take a break from the excitement on the convention floor. The Tranquili-TEA Lounge, powered by Ito-En provided attendees a space to take a space from the event. Complimentary tea was provided by Ito-En for attendees to enjoy at home. For the very first time, the Quiet Room made its debut to accommodate attendees with disability, special needs and other accommodations were able to relax in a sensor friendly, stress free environment.

Special guests from the U.S. and Japan attended this year’s event including Sandy Fox (Sailor Moon), Kenjiro Tsuda (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Yoko Takahashi, Yuma Uchida (WIND BREAKER), Brandon Rogers (Hazbin Hotel), May Hong (Kpop: Demon Hunters) and AJ Beckles (DAN DAN DAN). 

Over 150 hours of panels, screenings, and special events were presented, featuring guests from the U.S. and Japan, event sponsors, manga and anime publishers, premiere screenings, and talks. A variety of screenings, events and panels were held such as the annual Anime NYC Cosplay Masquerade, world premiere of Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine (English Dub), One-Punch Man Special Event, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Panel with special guest Kenjiro Tsuda. Plus, gamers of all levels can enjoy a variety of video and tabletop games at the Gaming and Community Hall.

With an additional day added for this year's event, a total of 148,000 attendees from across the U.S. and globe flocked to Jacob Javits to celebrate Japan and Japanese culture at the largest convention in NYC.  

Follow Anime NYC on Instagram, Facebook, and X for future updates and announcements.

Anime NYC 2026 will be taking place on Thursday, August 20 through Sunday, August 23, 2026. 

About Anime NYC

Anime NYC is the East Coast’s largest anime convention and a must-stop destination for anime fans from around the world. Celebrating Japanese pop culture, manga, and animation, Anime NYC has been honored with the Consul General Award from the Japanese Ambassador for its role in promoting Japanese culture. 

Now expanded to four days, Anime NYC brings fans and publishers together for an unforgettable experience featuring unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators from Japan. The next event will take place on August 20 – 23, 2026, at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center. For more, visit www.AnimeNYC.com.