We’d like to thank our kind friends over at Crownroot, XCoser, MVM and Crunchyroll who help support this event.
This event is run by Animeleague, one of the world’s largest anime communities, run by fans for fans, who also run Anime & Gaming Cons in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Leicester, Norwich, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. Make sure to check out our full 2019 calender here.
While there will be signups on the day, we advise to signup beforehand to guarantee a place if you’re entering the Talent Show, Cosplay Masquerade or Cosplay Auction.
Please note that this is only an indication of what to expect, events being put on may change, and you should read the event timetable when it is available for a better guide.
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With dozens of planned activities, the only problem you will experience is that there won’t be enough time to do everything you want to! (Please note events are provisional and subject to changes closer to the time, for confirmation make sure to check the official timetable released beforehand)
The Two Cosplay Contests (The Cosplay Masquerades) will see a prize pool of up to £100s of prizes between them up for grabs which includes a £100 cash prize for Sunday’s winner. There will be the cosplay masquerade on both the Saturday (3pm) and Sunday (3pm). Interested in competing? Go signup via this form HERE. Pre-Signups online are open until one week before the event.
The top 3 placed winners from Saturday and Sunday’s Cosplay Masquerade will have the option of qualifying for the UK Cosplay Championship Finals at London Anime & Gaming Con and join over 30 of the UK’s best cosplayer who have qualified for the finals across the year (Full info on that you can read @ www.cosplaychampionship.com ). There will be a chance to win even bigger prizes there.
This is just a part of our exciting cosplay lineup which also includes –
– Cosplay Guests, Talks & Workshops We will have some of the most renowned cosplayers in the UK guest-starring at this year’s event. They will provide talks and workshops throughout the day. Talks vary but last time’s saw A begineers guide, Cosplay on a budget, Cosplay Props & Worbla, Mental Health in Cosplay, Plushie Making, Performing at cons, Steampunk and much more!
A Fun Time for Cosplayers, involving YOU! – It’s not all about contests and guests. We seek to include everyone, so we have many events to get involved with including the Cosplay Auction where you put yourself up for bid to raise money for Epilepsy Action, the Cosplay Blind-Date to make friends or maybe find your valentines sweetheart before the big day and much more. From the serious and professional to the fun and silly, our cosplay events have something for everyone.
Cosplay Chillout & Photography Area – In addition there will be areas put aside for cosplayers to chillout, to have their photos taken and much more. All in all we seek to give cosplayers an amazingly fun time with many activities and events to make new friends and awesome experiences at!
– Manga Artists; Will be present as part of our Artists Alley. This will also include an area where you can sit down, draw and learn new art-tricks.
– Anime/Geek Exhibitors; Expect a wide range of anime and gaming merchandise, DVDs, manga and more, as well as some of the UKs most well known manga and comic artists in attendance. A full list of exhibitors and artists in attendance will be released closer to the event.
– Live J-Pop/Anime themed Performers; There will be several live performers from J-Pop, Anime inspired singers, bands and performers throughout the day. For a full list check out our guests.
– Japanese Food Zone We have many tasty treats in store for you at our food court, everything from Japanese themed to cakes and more. We’ll also have standard food available too.
The event will see many setups and 100s of gaming titles available to sit back and play with. Gaming shall take place in several main areas; the Tournaments Zone, the PC Gaming and Indies Zone, the Modern Gaming Zone, and the Retro Zone.
Tournaments – Get ready for a fantastic tournaments lineup at Anime & Gaming Con ( All tournaments are free to enter when you buy your entry. There will be nearly a dozen tournaments featuring a pair of tickets to an Anime & Gaming Con of your choice include; Smash Ultimate, Tekken 7, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Smash Ultimate Singles and many more. You can read full information on what tournaments are happening and the prizes available when our events timetable is released (Note tournaments as with everything are subject to change; please refer to the published event timetable closer to the time for the exact lineup).
Challenges – For the more casual gamer, challenges allow you to pick up and play at anytime – the objective being to beat the fastest time, the highest score etc. Challenges vary from event to event, but previous Anime & Gaming Cons have included challenges on games such as Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, Sonic Mania, Mario Kart, DDR, Red Faction Guerilla and more.
Retro & Modern Gaming Causal Play – Grab a game from our extensive library, sit down with your friends and have fun! A casual chillout area for gamers by gamers. Also a great place to make friends and become a part of our gaming community. We have everything, consoles include NES, SNES, Megadrive, Master System, Mega CD, Dreamcast, right up to the latest consoles such as Switch, Wii U, Xbox1 and PS4s. There’ll be tonnes of setups to sit down and have some fun with your friends!
PC Gaming & Indie Gaming – Featuring the latest games to check out from a variety of developers. We shall be providing some top-end PCs and running some of your favourite PC games. We’ll also be running more retro-pc gaming as well as well known indie games for some good old LAN Gaming! Make sure to come along.
Stage will feature events, talks and performances from 11am through to 8pm on each day.
– Talks – As well as cosplay talks mentioned above, there will also be wide range of talks on various subjects such as acting, RPGs and gaming, Comics and anime.
– Cosplay Masquerades – See the Cosplay Activities for more information. Not one, but two cosplay masquerades; one on each day with a £100 prize for Sunday’s winner!
– Dub That Anime – The aim of this event for those who have never seen it before is to dub a 30 second clip of our choice live on stage. The funnier the better. In fact..think Abridging! This can be done as an individual or group.
– The Talent Show; Do you have a hidden talent, be it singing, dancing, stand-up performing or pretty much anything? Come enter the Talent Show, show it off and win a £50 cash prize and the opportunity to develop your act with us and star on stage at our future events! Signup for it HERE
Lip Sync Battle – Come battle one another with lip sync performances to your favourite tracks on stage.
Cosplay Auction – Volunteers go up for bid to the audience, the highest bidder winning the company of that Cosplayer with the proceeds going to charity!
Big Geek Adventure – An roleplay adventure on stage played by YOU the audience! Come join Jollyboat on an epic quest.
– Big Geek Quiz – Various rounds on both anime and other more general subjects over five rounds. Get some friends together, make your own quiz team, and join in the fun. We guarantee a good time and much randomness! £50 cash prize to the winning team!
– Big Geek Raffle – For just £1 for a ticket compete in a raffle where £100s of pounds worth of prizes are up for stake!
– Even more events to be confirmed! Make sure to check out the timetable one month before the event when it is released.
We will have a massive lineup of RPGs and Board Gaming for you.
– RPG Scheduled Adventures – Roughly two-hour scheduled adventures (see timetable for details); come along and sign up on the day for any of our games – to be confirmed at a later time.
– Pick up & Play RPGs – Almost a dozen quick and simple drop-in Indie RPGs you can just turn up and play including Microscope, Dogs in the Vineyard, Parsely, Narrative Cage Match, Doctor Magnethands, PreHysteria, Not The Bees!
– Board Games include – Bang!, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Carcassonne, Cards Against Humanity, Channel A, Concept, Coup, Dixit, Dungeon Roll, Flame War, Fluxx, Forbidden Island, Hanabi, Love Letter, Munchkin, Pandemic, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Shadow Hunters, Snake Oil, Takenoko, The Resistance and many more. We have a massive selection of nearly 100 games to pick from.
– TCGing; There will be tournaments with prizes provided throughout both days as well as free-play sessions. Tournaments typically include Yu Gi Oh and Magic the Gathering.
A full timetable and lineup will be released one month before the event with the timetable.
– Top Manga & Comic Artists – Our manga and comics room will feature some of the UK’s best artists in attendance where you can buy their artwork from.
– Art & Comic Portfolio Session – Hosted by comic and manga publisher and event sponsor Crownroot Publications who will not only give advice, but will pick the best artists to be recognised and published in their upcoming comics
– Comic Talks – On the main stage we will have a number of comics-orientated talks which we will confirm when the timetable is released.
We ARE the party convention! Your ticket includes, free of charge, access to all the parties and late-night events up until midnight on Saturday and Sunday (Same venue). The parties shall feature Free Glowsticks and fun and geeky shenanigans through to getting on midnight. Parties include karaoke earlier on followed everything from geeky to cheesy to all your best tunes.
And of course, no event would be complete without a wide lineup of guests. From guest speakers to cosplayers to DJs, artists and performers, there will be an action packed timetable. Guests get revealed closer to the event, so make sure to check out the forums and fb page for all the latest news and announcements.
Please note all guest announcements are provisional and subject to their availability as guests may cancel leading up to the event.
A full list of exhibitors shall be released next year. You can expect a wide variety of dealers and artists to be present.
Exhibitor tables cost £135 per 6ft table for standard tables or £80 for artist tables. Note Exhibitor tables can get power on request – artists tables can not. If you wish to apply to become an exhibitor, then please ensure you:
1. Read the exhibitor FAQ located HERE first and foremost.
2. Complete the Booking Form Online Here
3. We will then invoice you and give you details on how to pay. We can offer BACS, paypal, cheque and cash as payment methods.
4. 4. If you have any questions or problems, please mail us ops@animeleague.com
– We offer 1 page adverts in our conplanners which are handed out to all attendees for £175, or £120 for a half-page advert.
– Higher sponsorship packages, which include social-media posts from our fb account which has several thousand likes, logos on our materials and websites, flyering permissions, posters, banners, media/guest access, and/or stage mentions and presents are also available. Pricing for these will be provided upon request.
To enquire about becoming a sponsor, please email pr@animeleague.com. With 11 events a year, we offer discount opportunities for companies which choose to sponsor multiple events.
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Opening Times Are: 10:30am (for prepaid), 11am for on the door. Tickets are available on the door.
Venue Address (The event is based in two Buildings beside one another)
Sugden Sports Centre, 114 Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HL
Flour & Flagon, 126 Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HL
(0161 306 4026)
Car-Parking –
Train Travel – Click HERE to view Walking Directions from Manchester Piccadilly Station. To help get the cheapest ticket possible, we recommend that you search through the National Rail website 12 weeks prior to the event. This will help you find the cheapest advance ticket.
Coach/Bus Travel – Click HERE to View Walking Directions from the coach stage. This is served by numerous companies including National Express. These offer regular national and local services. To help get the cheapest ticket possible, we recommend you search through the nationalexpress and megabus websites 12 weeks prior
– To Signup to Crew for the event, please fill in this form HERE. If you have any questions then email crew@animeleague.com
– To Signup to Help Promote/Flyer/PR Team, please fill in this form HERE
– Performer/Guest Applications HERE
The Manchester Anime Con crew are the people that help to make this convention a reality and to make it enjoyable for all our members. If you’re interesting in volunteering to help out, please read this page and then volunteer using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Why Crew? Well, you get free entry and one free-meal a day. And of course you get the satisifaction of having helped the convention out. We’re always happy to provide references to people who work for us, so it’s something extra which you can add to your CV afterward. Crewing is also a very easy way to get to know other members of the con, and there is usually a lot of camaraderie between fellow crew members over the course of the event!
What Kind of Work is it? Usually a crew member will help to manage queues, serve attendees, act as a runner to move equipment/items around and so forth. When you join crew, you are placed on to a team. Each team has a team-leader who you will report in to and who will look after you over the event. Each shift you are given is usually four hours long. At times crewing is far from easy, and it can be a lot of hard work but it is usually a very rewarding experience.
How many hours does a full-crew member do? Each full-crew member does 7 hours a day working. This entitles them to free entry in addition to free meal each day.
How many hours does a part-time crew member do? Some teams will allow for part-time crew. These are crew who work for only 1 day. Part-Time Crew will get a meal and free entry on the days which they are working.
What Teams are there? Video Gaming, Registrations, Operations, Stage or specialist (ask).
I’ve already paid my entry, can I get it back if I crew? Provided you do the shifts which are allocated to you, then you will receive the entry money back on the Sunday.
– To Signup to Crew for the event, please fill in this form HERE. If you have any questions then email crew@animeleague.com
We encourage those who want to help the event to first and foremost help spread the word. Without massive budgets to spend on mainstream advertising, we rely heavily on our attendees to help with this! You can help promote by –
1. Facebook & Twitter: Help by inviting your friends to our facebook event HERE, and posting short updates along the lines of “Is anyone going to Manchester Anime Con this 8-9 April? You can grab discount tickets online at www.manchesteranimecon.com”
2. Posters/Flyers: By dropping flyers/posters in to shops, groups, societies and handing to friends it can massively raise awareness. We can send out flyers if you request for some in this topic HERE, and you can download a full resolution copy to print out as posters HERE.
3. Word of Mouth: One of the most effective ways, make sure to personally speak to your friends and encourage them to check the event out!
4. Promote or link to us on your website/forum/blog: Download a copy of the Manchester Anime Con press-kit HERE which contains images, buttons, press-releases and further information to use, making it as easy as copy and pasting to write about or link to manchester Anime Con on your website, forum or blog!
5. Banner/Link Exchange and Cross-Promotion: If you’re interested in cross-promoting and gaining traffic, email us on info@animeleague.com and we can explore possibilities. Those who partner up with manchester Anime Con, will also be added as a partner on the animeleague website, a community of almost 30,000 members, making it very worthwhile!
Event Press-Kit (Artwork, Photos and Logos)- Access HERE or if that link does not work then you can download it as a zip file Download HERE..
Exclusive Content such as interviews we can make available on request to pr@animeleague.com
Do you write for a website or publication? Please apply for a press pass via this form here. Email us on pr@animeleague.com if you have any questions.
Benefits
1. Free Entry
2. Access to guests and performers on the day (subject to their availability)
3. Interview access to the organisers before and after the event
4. We want to engage and work with you! If you want to do something with us that might benefit us both then please have a chat.
Requirements
1. Your website, publication or blog must have a substantial following or readership associated with it. If it doesn’t, we may still be able to provide you with a press-pass, but you would need to pay for it as if you were a standard attendee.
2. You agree to promote the event beforehand and afterward on your website and social media (ie: twitter, facebook etc, please state the dates and website link to the event in all promotion). Please download a copy of the press-kit here.
3. You agree to adhere to the terms and conditions of being a member of press at the event as laid out here.
Apply now to pr@animeleague.com with the name of your publication/blog/website and any requests.
– It’s always cheaper to book online! Tickets purchased online cost £16 (limited availability for £16 tickets) for both days or £9 for one day. You can also buy tickets on the door at £12 for Saturday and £10 for Sunday.
– Buying online is recommended as it guarantees you entry.
– All ages welcome, under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult at all times. 18+ only for the parties (these are included in the ticket). To get 18+ access you MUST bring a proof of ID.
– Ages 6 and under go free when accompanied by a paying adult. All other ages are the same price.
– Once you pay you’ll be emailed a ticket. Print this out or show this on your phone to us at the event to collect your wristband which will allow you to enter and re-enter.
– You can view the full FAQ on tickets HERE and view the T&Cs HERE
Buy or Manage Tickets with a Forum Account
To register for manchester Anime Con, it is recommended that you login first via your Animeleague forum account. You can use this account to post on the forums, keep track of your registrations, make payments at a later date, make edits and buy multiple tickets.
If you do not have an AnimeLeague forum account, you can register by clicking here.
Lost Your Username or Password? Click here to retrieve it.
– If you have any questions or concerns then please email us on info@animeleague.com thanks.
– Upon paying for your ticket, your name will be added to our guest-list, whereupon you may either bring a proof of ID or a printed copy of your paypal receipt to collect your wristband upon entry at the event.
– You can view the full FAQ on tickets HERE and view the T&Cs HERE