Manga Barcelona eyes record breaking attendance at new venue in December

Manga Barcelona, the largest anime convention in Spain and the second biggest in Europe, will be changing venue this year to Fira Gran Vía. 

Thousands of comic enthusiasts are expected to fill the rooms of the convention center dressed as their favorite characters from Japanese graphic novels known as manga, or television animated series known as anime.

As part of this celebration of Japanese culture, Manga Barcelona organizers will decide who will represent Spain at the World Cosplay Summit, one of the world’s most famous manga conventions which takes place in Nagoya, Japan.

Aiming to break attendance record

After almost 10 years at Fira Montjuïc, organizers are moving the event to the facilities of Fira Gran Via, specifically to pavilions four, five, and six, to allow for more people to visit the fair than ever before in hopes of exceeding the 153,000 visitors that came to the 2019 edition.

The last edition was marked by Covid-19 restrictions and celebrated on a smaller scale, but the brand new facilities are expected to host more people and a wide range of activities, the team behind the mega event vows. 

Tickets will go on sale exclusively online at the end of July, and, unlike previous editions, tickets will not be available at the door, preventing long queues at the entrance. 

Activities planned

The Manga Barcelona Fair offers a vast program of activities including cosplay contests, musical performances, exhibitions, workshops, and an award ceremony. 

Activities will be spread out through the venue that will include a cinema showing a great selection of anime and Japanese films competing for the Manga Barcelona Auditorium Award.

Coming back this year is the Manga Sports area, a classic of previous editions where fans get to play different sports and enjoy an exhibition called Expokon, which looks at the relationship between sports and manga.  

The Nihon Ryori gastronomy workshops directed by Roger Ortuño is another attractive proposal. This year, they’ll be presenting an exhibition called Itadakimanga, a tour of tasty Japanese dishes.  

Some competitions, hugely popular in other years, return this edition such as the Cosplay Parade, the K-Pop Assault, the Idol Contest, Shine Bright like an Idol, the Just Sing! contest, and also the Otaquiz of manga and anime knowledge.

“There are many activities, spaces, and guests to be yet announced,” the organizers also added in a press release. “In the coming months we will be doing it through our social media.” 

Manga Barcelona history and the Cosplay scene in Barcelona

Manga Barcelona is the most important event in the Catalan capital celebrating  manga, anime, cosplay, and Japanese culture in general. The first edition was held at Estació de França, a major railway station in the city of Barcelona. 

Important personalities like Masami Suda, animator and character designer for Hokuto no Ken, have participated in the event. 

In 2012, the convention moved to Fira Barcelona in Plaça Espanya due to the increased number of visitors, and in 2019 the image and the name were changed to Manga Barcelona.

The fair has not stopped growing in the number of visitors since it opened its doors more than 25 years ago. 

Filling the Sink podcast

Catalan News' podcast Filling the Sink dedicated one episode to the influence of the Japanese culture in Barcelona. Have a listen here: