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

The 30th edition of the Manga Barcelona fair kicked off on Thursday, with nearly all tickets sold out. 

From December 5 to 8, thousands of otakus are expected to gather at Fira Gran Via for three days dedicated to manga. 

The guest list of famous mangakas, artists and cartoonists attracted many manga fans. 

This year’s star guest is Naoki Urasawa, the renowned Japanese artist behind Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto.  

Julia, one fan who came all the way from Sevilla to see Urasawa, told Catalan News that she was "so nervous, I can't wait to see him speaking." Julia will be at the fair all weekend and hopes to get the artist’s signature on her manga. 

Other notable guests of the event include Takeshi Kawaguchi, author of Fate/Grand Order -turas réalta-, and Yuki Tabata, creator of Black Clover. 

The manga fair is also an opportunity for local and international artists to get recognition, with many visitors looking forward to discovering new creators and buying souvenirs.

"I'm an artist myself so I like meeting other artists. I am not the kind of person to buy Mangas, but I am the kind of person that will buy prints of keychains from other artists," Julia added.  

In a section dedicated to Japanese artists, Noriko Nakagawa, or @pelto.handmade on her Instagram account, sells handmade bags and accessories worldwide.

She has toured in capitals such as Paris of Hong Kong to showcase her art: "I want my brand to be all around the world, and I wanted to sell my products in Barcelona,” she said. 

In total, the fair will feature 300 exhibitors and dozens of special guests, along with music, cosplay events, and exhibitions. 

This year's fair also hosts Nintendo's first in-person store in Spain.  

Selling products one can usually only find in Japan, and with a large offer of merchandizing, people are happy to queue to enter the shop.  

Many fans have decided to come for several days to enjoy what the fair has to offer. With a focus on activities, live video games, sports and drawing classes, it allows visitors to meet other manga enthusiasts.  

Atenea is from Barcelona and has decided to come every day to enjoy the different events with her friends: "There are many talented artists here and interesting talks about Mangas and animes," she said. 

Another highlight of Manga Barcelona is the debut of the fair's new mascot, Onachan. Fans can also look forward to appearances by Doraemon - celebrating 30 years since its arrival in Catalonia - Hello Kitty, who was born in 1974, and Myaku Myaku, the unique official mascot of Expo 2025 in Osaka. 

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the fair also hosts a special exhibition reflecting on the memories and experiences of the past three decades.