In 2023, I attended a one-day event known as Anime Days for the first time with my friend and fellow TGON writer Kat. You can read about our joint experience here to see if it’s up your alley. I loved my first experience attending Anime Days, so I was overjoyed to learn in January that Anime Days was returning for an incredible comeback! To better understand what to expect from Anime Days 2025 and formulate this article, I reconnected with the event staff and arranged an informational interview with their event coordinator.
This year, Anime Days is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, 12-7 PM PST at the Anaheim GardenWalk in Anaheim, California. But what is Anime Days? What got it started? According to their event coordinator, “At its heart, Anime Days is a day on which anybody and everybody is welcome to come, express their love for any type of anime, and, hopefully, meet other like-minded individuals.”
“What started Anime Days was seeing the opportunity and the need to gather artists and small shops in a place that would host as many people as possible and provide a low-ticket or no-cost ticket to step into one of these experiences. The first Anime Days was a huge success, with people coming in cosplay and having a great time. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we decided to continue with it.”
Anime Days is FREE to attend, but attendees are greatly encouraged to register via Eventbrite because it will help event staff better arrange for event necessities and amenities. Click here to register for FREE! The first 300 attendees to check in their tickets at the information booth will receive a FREE event enamel pin or sticker!
While you read, you may be wondering, how does a free event stay funded? How can returning attendees best show their support and keep Anime Days free for all? Anime Days event coordinator says, “The best way to show support for Anime Days as an event is just to come. That’s it. Everything else takes care of itself. Having people come is at the root of everything.”
Anime Days event coordinator also advised and clarified that “If you are coming for the first time, expect to have fun and know there will be a lot happening all at once. Anime Days is engineered to have multiple things happening at the same time so that guests are encouraged to return next year. If you are a returning attendee, expect a higher number of other attendees. Despite being a free event, we do encourage attendees to register for their free tickets ahead of time via Eventbrite because that gives us a better idea of how many people intend to attend, and allows us to prepare for parking, security, staff, and public restrooms.”
With 110+ confirmed vendors, Anime Days will be bigger than ever this year, so follow the Anime Days Instagram to stay tuned and up-to-date on Anime Days guests, vendors, and activities. For links to the registered guests, vendors, live performers, and more, keep reading! You may be surprised to recognize some of the names on this list! This is your chance to meet them in-person and show your support.
Main Floor (Outdoor Canopies and Kiosks)
Artist Alley, Maid Cafe, & Special Guests
Special Guests
@janicekawaye – Janice Kawaye
@jmarnocha – Jason Marnocha
@stevekramervo – Steve Kramer
Lower Floor
Itasha Meetup
Stage Schedule
@hardsubbed – 12 PM
@bunniestars1 – 1 PM
Open Mic Karaoke – 2 PM
@emorain.sd – 3 PM
@viorhythm.kids – 4 PM
Open Mic Karaoke – 5 PM
Costume Contest – 6:30 PM Judged by @nerd_mafia_group
Register now! We hope to see you there this Saturday!
