Taking place at NEC Birmingham on 15th-16th June 2024 the UK’s biggest Anime expo, AnimeCon, is coming to Birmingham!
AnimeCon UK will boast an extensive selection of international guests and exhibitors across two legendary days, centred around the anime, videogame, cosplay and manga obsessed.
The Activities
The Main Stage
The Main Stage is a where you’ll find a host of panels, talks with your favourite VAs, muusical performances and the famous AnimeCon UK Cosplay Catwalk (more details on that over there >>> )
The Performance Stage
Presented by Anime & Chill – The Performance Stage will bring you the hotest K-Pop J-Pop, Karaoke, Idols and more!
GunPla Workshops
Yes that’s right, FREE Gunpla Workshops! If you’ve not already been bitten by the bug, Gunpla (short for Gundam Plastic models), are kits depicting the mecha machinery and characters of the fictional Gundam multiverse by Bandai. The amazing folks over at Bandai UK are hosting a Gunpla workshop to get you introduced or honed on your Gunpla skills. You’ll be getting around to building that Perfect Grade Unleashed RX78-2 in no time!
ANIMATES!
ANIMATES is all about forging connections. It’s a free event within the convention to help you find new friends!
Conventions are fast-paced places, making it tough to connect. That’s where ANIMATES steps in. With a vibrant stage, bubble tea bar and activities galore, it’s the ultimate hangout to bond over fandom and it’s exclusive to registered attendees.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Speed-Friending Sessions
- The Friendmaker (Not a dating service, btw!)
- Host Tables for guided group hangouts
- Pub Quiz and Anime Bingo
- Bubble Tea Bar with seating areas
Register now at: https://animeconuk.com/animates/
And more!
With feature areas like the Origami Craft Workshops, an anime themed Graffiti Wall, a Maid Café and themed meets across the two days, it’s busy! Attendees will find a ton of things to do for entertainment choice.
The Cosplay Catwalk & Cosplay Hospital
The Cosplay Catwalk is the place to show off that Cosplay you’ve been working on for so long! Running on both days (17:00 – 18:00 on Saturday and 16:10 – 16:45 on Sunday). Just simply run on over to the Cosplay Hospital on the day to register your Cosplay and get all the adulation your Cosplay so rightfully deserves!
The Cosplay hospital is the place to get those rips, tears and holes repaired; the talented team will be able to to fix you up in a jiffy.
BAFF Screening Room
Birmingham Anime Film Festival (BAFF) is organised by The Mockingbird Cinema and Café, in partnership with Geeky Brummie, and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC). It had its first successful year in 2023 and will be back for a full run in Autumn 2024.
Coming back for 2024, BAFF will be running a Screening Room showing three amazing Anime Films across both days:
- The Red Turtle (Reddo Tātoru: Aru Shima no Monogatari) – 2016 / Rating PG: The film is an international co-production between Studio Ghibli and several French companies, including Wild Bunch and Belvision. Directed by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit, who co-wrote the film with French screenwriter Pascale Ferran. It tells the story of a man who becomes shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and meets a giant red female turtle.
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within – 2001 / Rating PG: directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy franchise. It was the first photorealistic computer-animated feature film and the most expensive video game-inspired film for a decade. It follows scientists Aki Ross and Doctor Sid in their efforts to free a post-apocalyptic Earth from the Phantoms, a mysterious, deadly alien race who has driven the remnants of humanity into “barrier cities”.
- Batman Ninja – 2018 / Rating 12: directed by Junpei Mizusaki, produced by Warner Bros. Animated by Kamikaze Douga and YamatoWorks, with charascter designs by akashi Okazaki, the creator of Afro Samurai. After a fight with Gorilla Grodd at Arkham Asylum, triggers his latest invention. The caped crusader, along with a number of his allies and adversaries, finds himself transplanted from modern Gotham City to feudal Japan.
Artist Alley & Vendors
What would be a Con without its artists and vendors? There’ll be an astounding 270+ Artists & Vendors to this year’s Birmingham show. Whether it’s original artwork, exclusive collectibles, the sickest merch or cosplay accessories, there’s a wide variety of things to pick up.
You can find a full list at: https://animeconuk.com/exhibitor-grid/
Silent Disco
The silent disco is an AnimeCon UK favourite, a must-see on any AnimeCon afternoon! The famous red tent will be back hosting all your favourite anime themes, J-pop, K-pop tunes and more!
Geeky Brummie’s Anime Con UK General Tips
- Wear Sensible Footwear (if you’re not cosplaying!) You’ll probably do a LOT of walking around to try and fit it all in. Don’t forget to bring some plasters for those blisters if needed.
- Drink Plenty of Fluids Similar to wearing sensible footwear, keeping yourself hydrated is always a good idea. The Halls can get warm with the thousands of attendees and you’ll be glad to have some thirst relief. There’s plenty of food stalls both inside the convention and in the NEC itself. Or, you could pop over to Resorts World if you fancy a more leisurely dining experience.
- Bring Cash Most Vendors will now accept card payments but the internet data signal can occasionally get overwhelmed. There’s plenty of ATMs onsite but the queues can get long with other events on at the NEC. You won’t want to miss out on that exclusive Naruto Figurine or that manga for your collection!
- Batteries Whether spare batteries for a camera or a battery pack for your phone, it’s always advisable to bring some POWER with you. If not for yourself, your friends will thank you when they need to make that phone call.
- Hand Sanitiser One of those things that’s always handy after you’ve forgot to bring some!
And most importantly..
- Cosplay Is NOT Consent If you’re taking pictures of some of the FANTASTIC cosplays you’ll see at Anime Con UK, remember to ask permission first. Be polite and respectful, and if you love the cosplay give them a follow on their social media pages.
Tickets and Showtimes
Day Tickets: The show will run from Saturday 15th June 2024 to Sunday 16th June 2024. Open both days from 10am. Limited Day Tickets are still on sale at animeconuk.com, and start from £23.10.
Autographs: Can be purchased in advance at this link, and start from £32.00 for a standard print / photo.
Aftershow: On Saturday there is an After Show Party (18+ ONLY) which is ticketed separately, prtices start from £19.80.
Show Updates
For more updates and news as we get close to the live event, keep an eye on their social media channels below
AnimeCon UK Wiki: https://animecon-uk.fandom.com/wiki/AnimeCon_UK_Wiki
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/AnimeCon-UK/
Twitter https://twitter.com/animecon_uk
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/animeconuk/
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