Comic Con Astana receives eight times more cosplay applications than available spots
The international Comic Con Astana festival has officially opened in Kazakhstan’s capital and will run from August 6 to 9, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
This year, organizers have significantly expanded the event, with the festival taking place across two venues and offering an extensive program for fans of pop culture, cosplay, video games and family entertainment.
According to Comic Con Astana General Producer Natalya Abrashkina, the festival continues to grow in terms of partnerships, attendance and venue capacity.
“We continue to grow in the number of partners, visitors and venues. Our key mission is to ensure that every member of the family can find something they enjoy, making this a family event that people want to return to year after year,” she said.
This year’s edition is being held across two locations, including one of the city’s largest open-air spaces at Barys Arena. Visitors can enjoy children’s gaming areas, a large-scale airsoft-themed installation, an expanded lineup of invited bloggers, and the festival’s traditional cosplay competition.
Organizers also highlighted the festival’s growing international appeal. Applications for the cosplay contest were submitted by participants from more than 20 countries, although only 180 contestants advanced through the highly competitive selection process.
“This year we have our largest-ever prize pool of 20 million tenge. Applications came from more than 20 countries. Not everyone made it through because the selection process was extremely rigorous. We received around eight times more applications than the number of participants we could invite,” Abrashkina said.
According to preliminary estimates, around 100,000 visits are expected during the four-day festival. Since ticket sales are still ongoing, the final attendance figure could be even higher.
“At the moment, we expect around 100,000 visits over the four days. Tickets are still on sale, so this figure will most likely increase by the end of the festival,” the general producer added.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that South Korean K-pop girl group Kandis is set to perform at Comic Con Astana 2026 on the festival’s closing day.