Inside Middle East Film & Comic Con 2026: Cosplay, anime and sold-out sessions

This is where life goes to get anime-shaped. Where the person standing next to you may have the ears of an elf, carry a katana and wear a kimono, or embody their costume so thoroughly that they look like a shadow come to life. Welcome to Middle East Film & Comic Con 2026. The annual convention in Abu Dhabi is a bit late this year – its usual April slot was pushed because of regional circumstances – but that’s only made fans of gaming, manga, anime and all things Japanese pop-culture more ready to celebrate (and given them more time to perfect their look).

The event kicked off on September 11 and runs until September 13 at ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi.

Day one, September 11 saw a rush of genre fans at the door. The queues were long, if efficient in funnelling you through – but we do suggest all water and bathroom breaks be taken before you enter the fray. You may be a while.

Once in, prioritise; among highlights are an artist alley where you can buy merch – and customise it with pins, paintings, etchings, sketches, stickers and stamps. More often than not, you’ll find some of your favourite characters looking at the memorabilia too. We ran into 21-year-old Sudanese artist Lojyn (lu), who was cosplaying Till from Alien Stage. The Dubai resident, who has been in the UAE since 2020-21, says she enjoys not just cosplaying but also the journey behind creating the costume. “So, I'll go out, thrift for whatever I might need, paint it if I have to, rip it up if I have to. And then I also [style] wigs. This [costume], I believe, I did like over a week where I went out with friends, we thrifted everything, and then like I spent the rest of it just like working at home, adjusting everything to my size.”

Former exhibiter who goes by the Insta handle @Dove_soda decided to see if her cosplay could create anonymity for her in the community. It worked, mostly – one of her friends did guess it was her. She had dressed up, she said, like an obscure character in a niche game - Dolindas from Genshin Impact – and was hoping to find someone dressed the character’s ‘husband’.

While she outsourced the actual sewing of her outfit, she was the mind behind the design. “I had to tweak a lot of the designs because it was like a bit too revealing.”

Another character on the prowl for merch called himself, simply, Eight. Dressed as Mahito from Jujutsu Kaisen, Eight – a youthful 21-year-old – was looking forward to both the artists as well as the cosplay at the convention.

The crowd continued to come in waves – of Harry Potter and the Hogwarts gang, Dragon Slayers, and even Pokémon. As some walked briskly, with purpose towards their destination – to authenticate an illustration bought, or to get a limited-edition trading card - others slowly wended their way through lanes, stopping every so often to see what was on offer (everything from Stanley cups with anime to plushes). We just let the crowd pull us along, ending up scrolling the entire floor – including area opposite the grand gallery where the food trucks stood, masks lay in varied states on the tables, and there was a gentle susurration – the kind that comes when there is excited conversation to be had but there are also demanding appetites to be fed. We settled on Pickl. for burger and fries but there’s also noodles, Korean street food and fish and chips among choices if you are up for it.

It is crowded – tickets to the event were sold out before it had even begun. “It has grown so much in the past couple of years now because last year I did come on a Friday as well and there were a lot of people but not these many,” said Lojyn, who explained that she likes to see families come together to such conventions.

“I really like seeing families I've seen parents with their kids, especially if their kids are college students and cosplaying. They take pictures together… it’s a nice space for families to bond as well. And it’s nice seeing people being supported when they are getting into it, it's just very heartwarming in general.”

The Main stage became the focus at one point (as it will again for other celebs) for Charithra Chandran, who we know as Nefertari Vivi from One Piece and Edwina Sharma from Bridgerton. She is one of the celebrities – others include Jonh Cena, Simu Liu, and Mackenyu – you can meet, greet and get a photograph with (for a fee).

Chandran, dressed in a black skirt and white shirt, is ready expand her repertoire, she told the audience. “I would love to do a horror movie. So I think that would be really cool. But I also think that I've had a fair bit of experience now being in front of the camera and being on set. That I now want to focus a lot more on making my own things, introducing and enabling other talented people and be able to take that forward and give other people opportunities.”

As for those wanting to follow in her footsteps, she called on them to be ‘authentic’. “I know that's like really like cringe, maybe generic advice, but what I mean is not only is that about internal peace and satisfaction, but everyone can read authenticity immediately,” she explained.

As cosplayers posed, and artists showed their wares, some first-timers looked on mesmerised. While a few found quiet nooks to read their new purchases (there are comic books aplenty) others helped those with wardrobe malfunctions, saving the day. For some, it was time to swap reads. At the Bookworm Longue, Sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, you can take a book of yours – manga or not – wrap it up and write a note and exchange it for another on the shelf. Some notes wish the reader well while others hint at the work inside.

For 12-year-old Pakistani expat Inaaya Ghufran, it was the first time cosplaying (she was dressed up as Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica). She had with her four books to swap out. And soon after she did, her book was pulled off the shelf by another avid reader who had her own pages to share.

Keep an eye out for special screenings - we saw the first episode of Season two of Black Clover, and it is inspiring.

With people waving to their favourite characters – who knows who is behind the mask? – and sharing their tables with other families, even welcoming them to their table, the comic con continues to do what it does best: Showcase the kindness of strangers, weave a community together, and leave people feeling positive, supported, and hungry for more.

Have you got your tickets sorted yet?