Over the course of a four-day weekend, thousands of attendees poured in and out of the Long Beach Convention Center in Southern California to attend the highly anticipated Animé Los Angeles. As a fan-run convention held in January, Animé Los Angeles (also known as ALA) has noticeably grown in popularity, building in size and developing more diverse programming for new and returning attendees to enjoy. This year, from Thursday, January 8, to Sunday, January 11, the Long Beach Convention Center hosted over 21,000 ALA 21 attendees (a record-breaking number) who came in pairs, as part of groups of three or more, or toured solo. Over four days, attendees had the opportunity to meet celebrity guests and original creators, engage in interactive activities, sing karaoke, enjoy live entertainment, tour Artist Alley, and make new friends. As a returning ALA attendee, I was excited to kick off 2026 with this community-focused convention, and Animé Los Angeles 21 delivered, bringing together fans and friends for a four-day, fun-filled experience! Keep reading to experience Animé Los Angeles via me, and learn what to expect in 2027 when it returns to Long Beach, CA!
Using the SpotHero app to reserve parking nearby and the Guidebook app to time block for panels and navigate the convention center, I was ready to enjoy another ALA experience. With a plan and joined by friends, I approached the Long Beach Convention Center with a pep in my step. My friends and I decided to cosplay casually as characters from the Hellaverse, which links the popular animated series Hazbin Hotel and its spin-off Helluva Boss. Wearing a crown and a star sweater, I was emulating what the character Octavia would look like as a human, and my friends were emulating the human disguises of Stolas and Alastor.
Outside the convention center, attendees were lined up. Inside, more attendees were either lined up for the Exhibit Hall to open or spread through the lobby, exchanging ribbons like trading cards. Best known as a “ribbon con,” Animé Los Angeles has a long-standing tradition of ribbon exchange between staff, vendors, cosplayers, and attendees. As a habitual collector, I loved seeing attendees bring in custom-made ribbons that reference their favorite fandoms, characters, and tropes, and pass them out like candy on Halloween. For many attendees, crafting, collecting, and exchanging ribbons is a huge highlight when attending ALA, and I love the social aspect of it. It is a fun way to meet new people and share your interests.
Of the four days, Thursday offered the most panels that appealed to my personal interests. Individually, they dove into Super Mario media, dissected what does and does not count as Isekai, and explored the appeal of magical girl anime. With Isekai being the theme for ALA 21, it made sense that one of the panels would delve into the actual genre of Isekai and how it has evolved. Beyond those panels, I was most excited about exploring the Exhibit Hall, collecting ribbons, and interacting with vendors, cosplayers, and other attendees.
As expected, the ALA Exhibit Hall featured local and out-of-state vendors, dealers, artists, and original creators. Common items for sale included fanart prints, enamel pins, acrylic keychains and standees, totes, lanyards, ita bags, stickers, and anime-inspired apparel in the form of t-shirts, jackets, skirts, and cardigans. Vendors were also selling boxed and unboxed figures, wigs, nail art, custom jewelry, handmade soaps, plushies, brand-new and previously owned manga and comics, as well as 3D-printed fidget toys. I always love seeing the variety that vendors bring to these conventions, especially when it is something that you can buy directly from the creator.
Since I was still reeling from Season 2 and itching for Season 3 of Hazbin Hotel, I was on the lookout for Hellaverse merch. Many of the artists and original creators in Artist Alley were selling keychains, prints, stickers, and more that referenced characters and jokes that tied back to the Hellaverse, so I had plenty of choices (but a limited budget). Eventually, I spotted a spinning standee of Alastor, also known as The Radio Demon, and, well, I fell in love with it. Yes, Alastor, the chaotic and charismatic smiling sinner, is my favorite Hazbin Hotel character. Sue me. Well aware of my current Hellaverse fixation, my friends gifted me an Adam keychain and a Vox button.
About halfway through the Exhibit Hall, my friends and I decided to find the food trucks. Per usual for conventions, the food truck prices were not preferable. Expecting this, I brought my own food, but was admittedly tempted by the drink selection offered by the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired Critical Hit Soda. There were sodas, lemonades, energy drinks, and sparkling water concoctions with fruity twists.
We sat down at an outside table, next to a cosplayer dressed as Hornet from Hollow Knight. She talked about how she put together her costume, and it reminded me of the dedication, detail, and effort that go into cosplay. Earlier in the Exhibit Hall, I saw numerous examples of casual and professional cosplays that varied in detail and design. Among my favorites were the cosplayers I recognized as Zestial fromHazbin Hotel, Grell Sutcliff from Black Butler, Mako Mankanshoku from Kill la Kill, Freddy Fazbear from FNaF, and Cell from Dragon Ball. It’s always exciting to see your favorite characters among the crowds at these conventions. After our lunch break, we returned to the Exhibit Hall and explored for a few more hours before heading home for the day.
I returned to ALA on Saturday, and this time, I met up with friends who lived in the area. I was excited to experience another day at Animé Los Angeles. In previous years, I participated in a ribbon race (not sponsored by ALA) hosted by a group of friends and cosplayers called the Indigo League Conference. It was always a highly anticipated highlight of my ALA experiences, so I dressed in my classic Ash Ketchum cosplay, with a Pikachu plush to match. Unfortunately, I learned from my ribbon race “rival,” another attendee I often bumped into during the race, that the race had been cancelled due to the main organizer falling sick before the convention. I was admittedly disappointed, but I took the opportunity to explore more of the Exhibit Hall, take a picture with the Pikachu I spotted midway, talk to vendors, read manga, and even enjoyed a live orchestra performance.
In comparison to Thursday, Saturday was considerably more crowded, making some of the aisles in the Exhibit Hall more difficult to walk through. When I wanted a break from the crowds, I took some quiet time in the Manga Lounge. As always, the ALA Manga Lounge provided a calm environment where tired-out attendees could enjoy a diverse assemblage of manga. For example, I enjoyed reading Unmagical Girl Volume 1, which features a magical girl from a cult TV show finding herself stuck in the real world, and then proceeded to binge Pet Shop of Horrors Volumes 1-6. I would recommend Unmagical Girl to readers interested in magical misadventures and a good laugh, and I would suggest Pet Shop of Horrors for readers who love horror and mythological creatures.
After my time in the Manga Lounge, I re-explored the Exhibit Hall until it was time for the live performance courtesy of the LA-based community orchestra, Tonario, which specializes in classical adaptations of songs from pop culture. Some readers may recall that I was first introduced to their music when I attended L.A. Comic Con in late 2025, and I was very excited to see that they were set to perform at ALA 21. I have always loved listening to classical music to relax, so it made perfect sense to end my Saturday attendance with a peaceful but powerful performance.
Tonario played music from the game Genshin Impact and Studio Ghibli films. It was a brief but incredible performance that earned enthusiastic applause at the end of each song. I was especially giddy when I recognized the whimsical tunes from the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo, one of my favorite childhood films. According to Tonario conductor David Dong, this concert marked their fifth live performance for ALA attendees. With such epic talent from the orchestra and an energetic response from the audience, I sincerely hope for Tonario to return next year for ALA 22.
In two days, I peeked in on panels, interacted with other attendees, collected ribbons, indulged in manga, and enjoyed a front row seat to a live orchestra performance. By the end of the weekend, I had collected 52 ribbons, referencing Hazbin Hotel, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Shrek, KPOP Demon Hunters, The Lord of the Rings, Pokémon, and Disney feature films, from vendors, cosplayers, and other attendees. Other attendees may have left with hundreds of ribbons, but I was satisfied with my ribbon horde and left Long Beach very happy with my experience. I greatly look forward to attending ALA 22 in January 2027, and I highly recommend ALA to anyone remotely interested in anime, fandom, and fun times. With karaoke and cosplay contests, scavenger hunts, ribbon games, diverse programming, and more, there are many opportunities to have fun solo or with longtime friends, make new friends, and explore interests at Animé Los Angeles.
Animé Los Angeles 22 has been scheduled to return to the Long Beach Convention Center from January 7-10, 2027! Follow the official ALA website and social media channels for the most up-to-date information, and don’t forget to be ready with your ribbons!
