After 12 years of hosting the festival, Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Singapore will be held virtually instead of physically for the first time.

Announced in November, the decision to shift the event online was due to the current COVID-19 pandemic that has since restricted overseas travel and large scale events worldwide.

This year’s AFA 2020 event follows the theme of ‘異世界 Masquerade’ and will take place between Dec 5 to Dec 6. The event will be broadcasted for free on AFA’s Youtube channel and AFA STATION platform.

AFA is Singapore’s largest Japanese pop-culture event and has hosted thousands of visitors yearly, with a record 120,00 visitors back in 2019. The event, usually held at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre, features a variety of music stages, anime, gaming and cosplay direct from Japan.

This year’s event features an extensive lineup of crowd favourites including LiSA, Eir Aoi, virtual Youtuber Moona Hoshinova and more.

With the event happening in a few days, here are three things you can do to enjoy AFA from home.

Stay connected with friends or meet new fans online during the festival. Livestream the concert together with friends over Zoom or register for a free account on AFA STATION Platform to interact with fellow festival-goers and guests during the stream.

Concerts are not complete without the cheers. Join in on social media and discord channels to find fans alike and cheer on your favourite idols together. It might be a virtual festival, but it does not have to be a lonely one for sure.

While you may not be able to support your favourite artists in person or showcase your costumes at the festival, continue to support your favourite artist online and on their social media channels! In these uncertain times, liking and sharing their work can play a part to help keep them going.

Interested in learning more? Look out for guest segments by experienced illustrators, cosplayers and artists during the festival too.

Break out your lightsticks and fan merchandise to soak in the experience from home. One of the plus sides of virtual events is the flexibility of customising your own experience. Comfy up at home or break out the towels, lightsticks and posters to cheer for your artists from home.

You can look forward to prizes and chances to participate in giveaways on AFA STATION during the festival too. Here’s to more merchandise.

Although this year’s AFA is a little different than usual, it’s still an opportunity worth experiencing for all thing’s Japanese pop culture. Most importantly, remember to have fun!