Anime Festival Asia (AFA) will be returning to Singapore for its 15th edition this year.
Billed as "Southeast Asia's largest and most-followed J-culture and ACG (anime, comics, and games) festival", the event, organised by SOZO, is scheduled to be held at the Suntec Singapore Convention Centre for the second consecutive year from 24 to 26 November.
As with previous iterations of AFA, guests will be able to immerse themselves in a slew of live concerts, hear from top creators from the entertainment industry, and check out a myriad of booths from the festival's exhibitors.
Shawn Chin, SOZO's founder, said: “We're proud to have played our part in the remarkable growth of the ACG community. From our modest beginnings in 2008 with just 30,000 attendees, we've seen AFA grow fivefold, hosting 145,000 attendees in 2022. Anime has transitioned from a niche interest to a mainstream genre, captivating people of all ages. In 2023, we're thrilled to return to our pre-COVID offerings, promising the most popular and trending content to hit the market currently. Join us as we celebrate 15 years of Anime Festival Asia!"
BANDWAGON TV
Ahead of AFASG23, the festival's organisers have shared updates on this year's programme lineup and offerings with J-culture enthusiasts via a global live stream and AFA's social media channels. Check them out below.
Live concerts
Over the festival's three nights, music lovers will be able to witness performances from 20 artists and groups. ASTERISM, Liyuu, Tatsuya Kitani, May'n, NANO, and Survive Said The Prophet will perform at I Love Anisong night concert on 24 November while Sakura Miko, Pavolia Reine, Mori Calliope, IRyS, and more will take the stage for talk shows and a concert at the sold-out hololive Meet on 25 November.
On AFASG23's closing night, a contingent made up of FLOW, ASCA, halca, spira spica, and Nami Tamaki will entertain attendees at SACRA MUSIC FES.
View this post on Instagram
The Akiba Stage will host a variety of showcases featuring artists from Japan and the rest of Asia. These include Japanese idol outfit DEAR KISS, Singapore-based virtual group SO*DA, Malaysia's Amelia Khor, and Golden Mix, an anime party platform.
Talk shows, screenings, and more
Guests who wish to hear and learn from leading creators from the Japanese entertainment industry can do so by heading over to the AFA Day Stage at Hall 406. There, they will be able to sit in for talk show with Manabu Otsuka (CEO), Yuichiro Hayashi (Anime Director), and Mari Okada (Anime Director and Screenwriter) of MAPPA, the studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan: The Final Season.
View this post on Instagram
There will also be talk shows featuring Cardfight!! Vanguard's Seiyuus Amane Shindo, Yuka Nishio, and Hina Aoki and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2's Seiyuus Ai Kayano and Yumi Uchiyama and appearances by AFA 2023 Official Ambassador Iori Moe and Rurouni Kenshin's Seiyuu Soma Saito.
View this post on Instagram
In addition, guests will be treated to the Southeast Asian premieres of Chained Soldier and Tales of Wedding Rings.
Get up close with cosplayers and creators
The Creators Hub and Cosplay Hub will be home to 26 cosplayers this year, including +Ely Cosplay+, Kiyo, Larissa Rochefort, Ying Tze, Xiaoyukiko, Charess, Baobao, Amelia Khor, Angie0_0, and HanaAme.
View this post on Instagram
Popular Singaporean cosplayer and content creator Rurusama will also be making her return to AFA this year with her largest booth to date. Fans who want to bring home Rurusama merchandise can do so at Akiba Town.
Tickets to AFASG23 are now available via Ticketmaster. For the full programme, visit AFASG23's official website.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-