Manga Fair kicks off in Barcelona with almost all tickets sold out

Barcelona's biggest annual manga event opened its doors on Thursday at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, with almost all tickets sold out for the four days.

Hundreds of people lined up early in the morning to be the first to attend the most anticipated event for manga and anime enthusiasts and industry professionals.

More than 163,000 fans of Japanese culture are expected to flock to Barcelona from Thursday to Sunday to experience the 29th edition of Manga Barcelona.

The event's director, Meritxell Puig, said that tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are sold out, with only a few left for the opening day. However, she said new tickets may be on sale online, depending on the day's attendance.

Last year, the event moved from Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, where it had been held for 10 years but had become too small, to Fira Barcelona Gran Via. Attendees have given positive feedback about the new venue, noting that there are "not as many lines" and that everything is "more organized."

The 85,000 square meters of the venue is filled with 272 stands, exhibition areas, workshop spaces, a large stage for performances and special guests, an expanded dining area, and a Japanese food zone.

Among the prominent figures attending the event are Canadian cartoonist Brian Lee O'Malley, Spanish animator and director Abel Góngora, producer Kohei Sakita, and Japanese artist Tokyo Genso.

Other notable attendees are Basque musician Fermin Muguruza, 'Digimon' composer Ayumi Miyazaki, and 'Sailor Moon R' actress Yoko Ishida.

This year's event celebrates the 35th anniversary of My Neighbor Totoro, the iconic Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

In the exhibition "My Neighbor Totoro: 35 visions," curated by Jordi Pastor and Reinaldo Pereira, illustrators offer unique perspectives on the animated film and its iconic character, Totoro, a forest spirit connected to a Japanese family moving to the countryside.

This year, a new virtual section called Manga Stream will allow visitors to follow the event from home. there will be interviews, a selection of podcasts and other live content that can be watched via the Manga Barcelona Twitch channel.