A Two-Day Celebration at ICE BSD City – See You Next Year!
The Second Day Concludes with TOGENASHI TOGEARI’s Southeast Asian Debut, a Talk Show with Illustrator LAM, and the AFA Cosplay Singles Competition
Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2026 (AFAID26) officially closed its festival gates following two exciting days at Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) BSD City, Hall 1 & 2, on August 15–16, 2026. Celebrating a decade of AFA in Indonesia under the theme “Celebrate the Magic of Japan Pop Culture,” the event successfully delivered a nonstop lineup of programs from morning until night across two consecutive days. The festival brought together exhibitions, community stages, fan meet-and-greet sessions, and two nights of Japanese music concerts that energized thousands of attendees. The festival was organized by SOZO Pte Ltd in collaboration with PK Entertainment.
Following a successful first day filled with showcases, concerts, and community activities, the excitement of AFAID26 continued into its grand finale on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The second day featured several special moments that brought the decade-long celebration of AFA in Indonesia to a memorable close.
Day One: Nonstop Entertainment at AFA Next Stage
The first day of AFAID26 officially opened at 10:00 AM WIB and was immediately packed with thousands of visitors. Throughout the day, the AFA Next Stage became the center of entertainment, featuring an almost nonstop lineup of programs, including:
- Idol Showcase featuring Meishohikokai;
- VTuber Showcase featuring Pandavva;
- Music Showcase by Daruma Rollin’;
- Featured Anime: Detective Conan, featuring legendary voice actress Noriko Hidaka;
- Featured Content with Manabu Otsuka, President & CEO of MAPPA, and Kiyoshi Matsuda;
- Music Showcase featuring Dave Rodgers, the Eurobeat legend known for Initial D;
- Cosplay Showcase featuring Rukia, Romu, and Kumose Chio;
- Featured Anime: Needy Girl Overdose, featuring voice actress Sally Amaki; and
- Stamp Rally Lucky Draw, which brought the first day’s program to a close with prizes for visitors.
The first night also saw the AFAID26 Music Fest take over ICE BSD City with a stellar lineup of Japanese artists. Sally Amaki served as the opening act, followed by BACK-ON, kz (livetune), Isekaijoucho, ASCA, and SPYAIR as the closing act. The artists successfully got the entire arena singing along together in a massive sing-along moment.
Day Two: The Grand Finale of AFAID26
Entering its second and final day, AFAID26 presented several special programs that became major highlights for festival attendees, including:
- The Southeast Asian debut of TOGENASHI TOGEARI through the “Rinne no Kotowari” Southeast Asia Tour 2026. The performance marked the Indonesian debut of the band from the GIRLS BAND CRY anime project and became one of the most highly anticipated moments of the festival;
- A talk show with Japanese illustrator LAM, offering attendees insight into the creative process behind the artist’s works;
- A special appearance by Aya Emori and Yuina from Love Live! Superstar!!, who greeted fans of the popular idol series in person; and
- The AFA Cosplay Singles Competition, an individual cosplay competition offering cash prizes and providing cosplayers from various regions with a platform to showcase their creativity.
The lineup of programs on the second day brought the two-day AFAID26 journey to a fitting conclusion, marking a memorable finale to the celebration of a decade of Anime Festival Asia in Indonesia.
Exhibitions, Booths, and Community Activities Across Two Days
Throughout the two-day event, the Exhibition Hall was packed with dozens of booths from renowned brands and IPs, including AVEX, Crunchyroll, Fitbar, Hello Kingdom, Honda, Honor of Kings, Hydro Coco, iQOO, Kyou Hobby, Lumica, Phoenix Gramedia Indonesia, Rexus, and Universal Music Indonesia. The exhibition also featured themed booths such as Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage and JOJOCARAVAN, as well as the new AFA Cardverse zone, which brought together eight Trading Card Game (TCG) exhibitors.
The Cosplay Hub and Creators Hub also served as creative spaces for the community, while Food Street and Community Hub enhanced the visitor experience with a variety of food options and dedicated spaces for interactions among more than a dozen Japanese pop culture fan communities from Greater Jakarta and surrounding areas.
Successfully Concluding a Decade of AFA in Indonesia
With the event concluding on Sunday, August 16, 2026, AFAID26 marked the 10th edition of Anime Festival Asia in Indonesia, establishing itself as one of the country’s largest celebrations of Japanese pop culture. The festival brought together exhibitions, showcase stages, two nights of music concerts, cosplay competitions, and dedicated spaces for creators and communities into one vibrant weekend.
Fans can continue to relive the festival’s highlights and follow future updates through the official Instagram accounts @afaid_ig and @animefestivalasia, as well as the official website at animefestival.asia/afaid26.
About AFAID26
Anime Festival Asia Indonesia (AFAID) is one of Southeast Asia’s largest Japanese pop culture festivals, organized by SOZO Pte Ltd. In 2026, AFA celebrated its 10th edition in Indonesia under the theme “Celebrate the Magic of Japan Pop Culture,” held at Hall 1 & 2 of ICE BSD City on August 15–16, 2026.
Founded in 2008 to bring together J-Culture fans across Southeast Asia, Anime Festival Asia (AFA) has become one of the region’s leading Japanese pop culture conventions. AFA has organized more than 30 events, featured over 520 performers, hosted more than 2,300 exhibitors, and welcomed over 2.3 million visitors across six cities, from Singapore to Tokyo.
The flagship AFA Singapore event has also received the Outstanding Leisure Event award multiple times at the Singapore Tourism Awards.
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