Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2026: Two Days of Anime, Cosplay, Music and Japanese Pop Culture at ICE BSD
Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2026 (AFAID26) successfully brought the excitement of Japanese pop culture back to Indonesia on August 15–16, 2026, at Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) BSD City. Held across Hall 1 and Hall 2, the tenth Indonesian edition of Anime Festival Asia delivered two packed days of anime, cosplay, music, gaming, creators, merchandise, and fan activities.
With this year’s theme, “Celebrate the Magic of Japan Pop Culture,” AFAID26 once again demonstrated how deeply anime and Japanese entertainment have become part of Indonesia’s modern pop-culture landscape. Fans arrived from Jakarta, Tangerang, Bandung, Surabaya, and other parts of Indonesia, many wearing elaborate cosplay costumes inspired by anime, manga, games, and virtual characters.
AFAID26 Takes Over ICE BSD
The event transformed ICE BSD into a huge Japanese pop-culture playground. The exhibition area featured official exhibitors, merchandise booths, creators, community activities, food vendors, Cardverse, Creators Hub, Cosplay Hub, and the AFA Next Stage.
Visitors could discover anime merchandise, collectibles, apparel, figures, trading cards, artwork, and exclusive event products. Interactive booths also encouraged visitors to participate in games, promotional activities, photo opportunities, and other experiences.
The official festival program confirmed that Festival Tickets provided access to the Exhibition Zone, Creators Hub, Cosplay Hub, AFA Cardverse, Food Street, and AFA Next Stage.
Star-Studded Music Lineup
Music was one of the biggest attractions of AFAID26.
On Saturday, August 15, the AFAID26 Music Fest featured an impressive Japanese music lineup. The evening began with Sally Amaki of 22/7 as the opening act. Amaki is known not only as an idol and voice actress but also for her roles in anime such as Bocchi the Rock!, Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, and NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE.
She was followed by ASCA, whose powerful anime-song performances have made her a major name among anisong fans. Her credits include the Sword Art Online: Alicization opening theme “RESISTER.”
Japanese rock band BACK-ON also brought its energetic performance to the festival. Known for combining rock, hip-hop, and melodic songwriting, BACK-ON has contributed songs to numerous anime, games, and other entertainment franchises.
The lineup continued with virtual dark singer Isekaijoucho, renowned music producer kz (livetune), and veteran Japanese rock band SPYAIR.
For fans of anime music, the combination of anisong, rock, electronic music, and virtual performance created one of the most diverse concert lineups of the weekend.
TOGENASHI TOGEARI Makes Its Southeast Asian Debut
Sunday, August 16, belonged to TOGENASHI TOGEARI, the real-life band connected to the hit anime Girls Band Cry.
Their Jakarta concert, titled “Rinne no Kotowari,” marked the group’s first concert appearance in Southeast Asia. The official lineup specified that Rina, Yuri, and Shuri performed in Jakarta, while Mirei and Natsu were on hiatus and did not participate in the show.
The concert attracted fans of Girls Band Cry as well as Japanese rock and anime music. The performance provided a powerful conclusion to AFAID26’s two-day entertainment program.
International Cosplay Guests
Cosplay was another major attraction at AFAID26.
Among the most prominent international cosplay guests was Xiaoyukiko, one of Singapore’s best-known cosplay personalities, with more than 1.5 million followers across social media according to AFA’s official profile. She is recognized for recreating characters from popular anime and games and for her strong connection with the Asian cosplay community.
Indonesia’s own Yukitora Keiji also appeared as a featured cosplay guest. With 17 years of experience in the cosplay community, Yukitora Keiji has worked as a guest and judge at numerous local and international events and has recently expanded into hybrid VTubing.
Other featured cosplay personalities included Cxiela, an Indonesian illustrator-turned-cosplayer who has been active since 2014; Jia Jia, a Malaysian cosplayer and content creator; and Preston Les, a Malaysia-based photographer, cosplayer, and content creator.
COSSPO!! Brings Japanese Cosplayers to Indonesia
One of the special cosplay attractions was the COSSPO!! Cosplay Runway, featuring Japanese cosplayers Rukia, Romu, and Kumose Chio.
According to AFA, the three cosplayers are active in Japan and were brought to Indonesia for a special stage appearance. Rukia is known for her detailed character portrayals, while Romu specializes in cool and powerful characters. Kumose Chio focuses on cute and tsundere-style characters. All three appeared in the COSSPO!! program on both August 15 and 16. (Anime Festival)
Their appearance became an important highlight for Indonesian cosplay fans because it created an opportunity to see Japanese cosplay culture directly on an Indonesian convention stage.
Cosplay Hub and Cosplayer Booths
Beyond stage performances, AFAID26 also provided a dedicated Cosplay Hub where regional cosplayers could exhibit self-produced merchandise and interact with fans.
The official AFA program specifically invited regional cosplayers to exhibit their own merchandise and hold meet-and-greet sessions at Cosplay Hub. This made the area more than just a photo opportunity—it functioned as a marketplace and community space where fans could directly support cosplay creators.
Featured cosplay guests such as Xiaoyukiko, Yukitora Keiji, Cxiela, Jia Jia, and Preston Les were among the personalities connected to AFAID26’s cosplay programming. However, AFA’s public information does not provide a complete text list identifying every individual Cosplay Hub booth holder, so the booth lineup should not be confused with the official featured-guest list.
AFA Next Stage
The AFA Next Stage offered another major attraction for visitors who wanted more than shopping and cosplay photography.
The stage presented licensed anime content, creator discussions, screenings, international guests, and special programs. Among the featured guests were anime industry professionals and performers connected to major franchises.
The program included Kiyoshi Matsuda, director of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2, as well as Manabu Otsuka, President and CEO of MAPPA. Fans also had opportunities to see special guests connected to Detective Conan, Love Live! Superstar!!, and other major anime properties. (Anime Festival)
Japanese and Indonesian Creative Communities
AFAID26 also highlighted the growing relationship between Japanese pop culture and Indonesia’s own creative scene.
Indonesian VTuber group PANDAVVA appeared at the Next Stage. The five-member group combines the concept of VTubing with Indonesian wayang culture and characters inspired by the Pandava figures of the Mahabharata.
Other featured acts included DARUMA Rollin’, a three-piece girls band based between Japan and Indonesia, and Yume Palette, an Indonesian group combining J-Pop-inspired music with local pop influences.
These appearances demonstrated that AFA is not simply importing Japanese entertainment but also providing a platform for Southeast Asian creators to participate in the broader ACG ecosystem.
Artist Alley and Creative Community
Another highlight was the Artist Alley, where local and regional illustrators displayed their original artwork, fan art, comics, stickers, posters, and handmade merchandise.
The area attracted visitors looking for unique collectibles that could not be found in mainstream retail stores. Fans had the opportunity to speak directly with artists, learn about their creative process, and support independent creators.
The popularity of Artist Alley reflected the continued growth of Indonesia’s creative community, with many artists building dedicated fan bases through conventions and online platforms.
A Celebration for Anime Fans
After two packed days, AFAID26 once again proved why Anime Festival Asia has become one of the most important Japanese pop-culture events in Southeast Asia.
From major Japanese music acts such as SPYAIR, BACK-ON, ASCA, Isekaijoucho, kz (livetune), and TOGENASHI TOGEARI, to international cosplay stars including Xiaoyukiko, Yukitora Keiji, Cxiela, Jia Jia, Preston Les, Rukia, Romu, and Kumose Chio, the festival offered an unusually broad range of experiences.
For Indonesian fans, AFAID26 was more than a convention. It was a meeting point between Japanese entertainment, international creators, local artists, cosplayers, musicians, gamers, collectors, and thousands of passionate fans.
With its tenth Indonesian edition now complete, Anime Festival Asia continues to establish ICE BSD as one of the country’s key destinations for major Japanese pop-culture events—and AFAID26 delivered another memorable weekend for the Indonesian anime community.
