The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) confirmed that Anime Expo 2025 set a new record attendance of over 410,000 attendees from more than 65 countries. The four-day sold-out convention brought an estimated economic impact of over $110 million to local hotels, restaurants, and businesses.
Not only did it set a new record, but Anime Expo 2025 featured more than 1,300 hours of programming, including live concerts, world premieres, exclusive screenings, cosplay showcases, and special guest panels. The guest roster featured many notable names from the gaming, anime, and manga industries, including Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida, Rozen Maiden and Shugo Chara! manga duo Peach Pit, The Summer Hikaru Died creator Mokumokuren, and Higurashi and Umineko series creator Ryukishi07. Anime Expo 2025 also welcomed Paru Itagaki, the mind behind SANDA, artist Yasuto Sasada, and Japanese female pro-wrestling league Sukeban, which its first-ever World Championship Fight at Anime Expo.
This year, Anime Expo expanded its campus to include Peacock Theater, Peacock Place, and multiple other locations with street closures. However, due to Anime Expo’s exponential growth, along with rising labor avenue costs, encouraged SPJA to begin evaluating Los Angeles as its longtime home for Anime Expo. There’s uncertainty due to the long-anticipated expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center, which was planned for completion ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
“The Los Angeles Convention Center has been our home for more than 15 years, and we are deeply grateful to the city and community for their ongoing support,” said SPJA CEO Ray Chiang in a press release. “However, our top priority has always been to deliver an exceptional experience for our attendees and partners. As we evaluate next steps, we remain committed to transparency and to finding the best possible path for Anime Expo’s future.”
SPJA has begin to plan its anime expo chibi event, which is a smaller scale spinoff convention. anime expo chibi will be held at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California from November 8 to 9, and attendees can purchase badges now through ShowClix.
