Anime Festival Asia 2023 to be held Nov 24-26; features anime premieres, exclusive merchandise, performances from musical artists
The event will use wireless band technology that can be paired to users’ smartphones for access to floor plans and schedules through a digital dashboard.
Fans of anime, comics and games will be able to indulge in their interests at Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2023 (AFASG23) from Nov 24 to 26.
In its celebration of 15 years of AFA and a return to pre-COVID offerings, AFASG23 will see a variety of events which include live performances, talks, a cosplay competition, and creator booths, to name a few.
Here are some of the highlights:
Performances, talks and events
Across AFASG23’s three-day stretch, there will be guest appearances, demonstrations, and musical performances to look forward to. These will occur during three night concerts, the Day Stage, and the Akiba Stage.
Attendees can look forward to their spirits being UPLIFTED at the night concerts, which spotlight musical artists like rock band Survive Said The Prophet, heavy metal group ASTERISM, and singer-songwriter Tatsuya Kitani.
This will take place across three nights with I Love Anisong, the sold-out hololiveMeet, and SACRA MUSIC FES.
AFASG23’s Day Stage at Hall 406 will span from Nov 24 to 26. The event will see appearances from celebrated voice actors, a live drawing session from illustrator and streamer Shigure Ui, and special Southeast Asian premieres of two animes.
Alongside this, talents from the animation studio MAPPA, which has previously put out hits like Jujutsu Kaisen and Zombieland Saga, will make appearances at the Day Stage on Nov 26.
It will feature special guests Manabu Otsuka, the company’s CEO, director Yuichiro Hayashi, and director and screenwriter Mari Okada.
AFASG23’s Akiba Stage will involve a variety of content from creators across Japan and the Southeast Asian region. Attendees can look forward to “the opportunity to shine on a stage” at the Cosplay Singles Competition, where they stand to win $1200.
The Stage will also feature virtual talent auditions, a new multimedia project by talents under Merryweather Media, and the debut of a special version of Singaporean virtual idol group SO*DA’s new music video.
Akiba Town Exhibition
Attendees will also be able to explore Akiba Town, where more than 70 exhibitors will bring merchandise to the hall for attendees to browse and buy.
The extensive list of exhibitors includes HoYo FEST 2023, which will present a series of online and offline events. Hoyoverse fans who have traversed its vast digital worlds can take part in web events to receive both in-game rewards and physical prizes.
Another highlight is RURUSAMA, a content creator and cosplayer who will display her own merchandise for fans in her “biggest booth yet”.
Don’t kick back and relax just yet – exclusive merchandise from Chainsaw Man, Oshi no Ko, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury will also make their first appearance in Singapore at MEDIA LINK’s booth.
Creators Hub and Cosplay Hub
AFASG23 will also put up a display of artwork and merchandise from over 120 creators at the Creators Hub.
Cosplayers will also be part of AFASG23, with 26 cosplay celebrities joining the line-up.
Collaborations
AFASG23 will collaborate with Bushiroad Expo Asia 2023, which will be held within the event.
Besides trading card game tournaments, there will also be merchandise sales, video game demos, and an appearance from Japanese women’s professional wrestling group World Wonder Ring Stardom.
In conjunction with Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman fans will also be able to experience Ultraman appearances, live stage performances, and booth activities.
Sarah Thursday, a local creator inspired by “the darker side of Japanese culture”, will also be a collaborator. She previously worked with AFASG22 to create a limited-edition capsule apparel collection.
Tickets and access details
This year’s edition of AFA will use the AFAverse’s “game-like” wristband technology, which debuted in AFASG22.
With a Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled AFA-band, visitors will be able to view their own “dynamic dashboard.”
Through this, they can access the festival floor plan and schedules, and interact with various touch points across the event to redeem prizes.
Tickets for AFASG23 can be purchased on Ticketmaster’s platform. Ticket prices begin at $28 per day for the exhibition segment.
The Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre is located at 1 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039593.
