The anime, cosplay, and games (AGC) fever is set to wash over Singapore again, as Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2024 will return for another wave of celebrating all things Japanese culture. Taking place from 29 November to 1 December, the annual affair brings back well-loved fare that regular attendees have come to expect, including concert performances, special stage programmes, meet-and-greet lineups, and a host of other activities.
Like previous iterations, the event features three nights of festivities, starting with the AFA X Japan Music Festival on Friday, 29 November. Aqua Timez, Shiyui, Takanori Nishikawa (T.M. Revolution), and TeddyLoid will take to the stage, followed by the AFA x hololive Meet Panel Session on Saturday. Happening before the concert, it stars FUWAMOCO and Ouro Kronii from the English arm, alongside Indonesian counterpart Kaela Kovalski.
The hololive STAGE World Tour ’24 – Soar – performance is scheduled to kick off in the evening, shining the spotlight on AZKi and Tsunomaki Watame from hololive, Moona Hoshinova and Kobo Kanaeru from hololive Indonesia, and Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina’nis, and Hakos Baelz from hololive English.
The AFA X I Love ANISONG segment caps off the concert experience, led by KAF, KANA-BOON, ReoNa, May’n, and Sally Amaki (22/7). While 3-Day VIP packages are sold out, single-day tickets remain available at S$198 (Cat 1 Seated), S$178 (Cat 2 Seated), and S$158 (Cat 3 Seated). Cat 1 ticket holders also stand a chance to walk away with free subscription packages to Mediacorp’s meWATCH service, reserved for 1,000 lucky winners selected via online ballot.
As for general admission, tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster starting 11 October, 12 pm SGT, with prices ranging from S$28 to S$110. The full list of details is as follows:
- 3 Day Exhibition + Stage: $110 / S$125 (after midnight of 28 November)
- 3 Day Exhibition-Only: $80 / S$92
- 1 Day Exhibition + Stage: $38 / S$43
- 1 Day Exhibition-Only: $28 / S$32
Over at the show floor, AFA Singapore 2024 will host live talk shows and special events on the Day Stage, featuring groups BAE, The Cat’s Whiskers, cozmez, and Akanyatsura for the Japanese mixed-media project Paradox Live; VTuber Shoto and his companion, Unnämed; Hiroyuki Itoh, CEO of Crypton Future Media, which created Hatsune Miku; Tower of God voice actors; Yuya Hirose, voice of Köinzell in Übel Blatt; and virtual singer Isekaijoucho.
Other notable highlights include:
- A special Hatsune Miku booth with activities like photo taking, special exhibitions, and exclusive merchandise.
- An Oshi no Ko stage event, where Takeo Otsuka and Yurie Igoma — who play twins Aqua and Ruby — will share the stage with show producer Shimpei Yamashita.
- The latest updates on Ranma 1/2 from Manabu Otsuka, MAPPA CEO and director Konosuke Uda.
- Stage appearance by Yusuke Kobayashi, the voice of Subaru Natsuki in Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3
- Rin Tateishi, the voice of Anon Chihaya, and Hina Aoki, the voice of Rāna Kaname for the BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! segment.
The meet-and-greet lineup, meanwhile, welcomes Sally Amaki (22/7), Takeo Ostuka & Yurie Igoma, Yusuke Kobayashi, Shoto, and Yuya Hirose, granting fans access to Q&A sessions, group photos, and autograph opportunities.
Additionally, Akiba Town is due to return with official exhibitors like Crunchyroll, which will bring a Solo Leveling experience dome and activities from the One Piece series, Mint TCG, and Bushiroad Expo Asia, as well as over 120 creators from 21 countries for the artist alley. The Cosplay Hub will also showcase close to 40 cosplayers from the region.
Rounding out the AFA Singapore 2024 show floor experience is the brand-new GameOn area, where gaming enthusiasts can check out current and upcoming titles, including CookieRun: Braveverse, Neopets, Infinity Nikki, Madness Arena, Ultraman Card Game, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more. Further information about the event may be found on the official website.
AFA Singapore 2024 will be held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre from 29 November to 1 December.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
