# Animethon

Animethon is a three-day anime convention held annually at Edmonton Convention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta and organized by the non-profit organization Alberta Society for Asian Popular Arts (ASAPA). It is Canada's longest-running anime convention, the first being held in 1994.

## History

Animethon was formed back in 1994 by the University of Alberta's anime club, Banzai Anime Klub of Alberta (BAKA), with the intention of promoting Japanese anime. The first Animethon was a one-day event that allowed people to view different Japanese anime movies and television shows within two classrooms at Grant MacEwan. It became a success by presenting well-known and more obscure anime to audiences and has since grown to what it is now. From there, it expanded to the whole 106 Street building during Animethon 2 through 10. It was not until Animethon 11 that the festival grew to utilize the entire university campus for events, artist alley, education panels, and a large vendor hall. As such, the steady increase of numbers in attendees to Animethon has allowed for various vendors to expose themselves to a unique group of people both young and old.
Due to the convention's growth, in 2018 it moved to the Shaw Conference Centre (now known as Edmonton Convention Centre). Since 2019, Animethon has hit the 10k attendance mark and also to be one of the longest running anime convention in Canada.
Animethon has experienced several years of consecutive growth in attendance while increasing their scope to include musical guests from Japan such as Flow, ROOKIEZ is PUNK'D, Yoko Ishida, Kanon Wakeshima, An Cafe, and Ladybeard.
The event was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in August 2022.

## Events and programming

Animethon has expanded their focus beyond screening anime and now also include voice actor guests from North America, musical acts from North America and Japan, improvisation groups, as well as various related activities such as gaming, costume contests, anime music video compilations/contests, and more.

### Event history

| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
| August 13, 1994 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | | |
| July 8–9, 1995 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | 80 | |
| July 13–14, 1996 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | 300 | |
| July 12–13, 1997 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | 1,200 | |
| July 11–12, 1998 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | 2,500 | |
| July 10–11, 1999 | Grant MacEwan Community College Edmonton, Alberta | 2,700 | |
| July 15–16, 2000 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 1,800 | |
| July 14–15, 2001 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 3,000 | |
| July 13–14, 2002 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | | |
| July 12–13, 2003 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 4,000 | |
| July 17–18, 2004 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 4,700 | The 404s and Debbie Munro |
| August 5–7, 2005 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 3,755 | The 404s, Rob Bakewell, Brian Dobson, and Debbie Munro. |
| July 7–9, 2006 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 3,450 | Randy Brososky, Consplayers.com, Trevor Devall, Brian Dobson, Michael Dobson, Tom Edwards, Cole Howard, Kirby Morrow, and PikminLink. |
| August 10–12, 2007 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 4,349 | The 404s, Trevor Devall, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Kyle Hebert, and Vic Mignogna. |
| August 8–10, 2008 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 4,679 | The 404s, Randy Brososky, Michael Daingerfield, Kyle Hebert, Stephen Notley, and Sonny Strait. |
| August 7–9, 2009 | Grant MacEwan College Edmonton, Alberta | 4,881 | The 404s, Michael Daingerfield, Aaron Dismuke, Paul Dobson, Caitlin Glass, The Slants, and Brad Swaile. |
| August 6–8, 2010 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 4,753 | The 404s, Chris Cason, Brian Dobson, Michael Dobson, Paul Dobson, Kyle Hebert, L33tStr33t Boys, Wendy Powell, Spike Spencer, Synaptic Chaos Theatre, Thwomp |
| August 5–7, 2011 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 5,346 | The 404s, Bespa Kumamero, Todd Haberkorn, L33tStr33t Boys, Kirby Morrow, Trina Nishimura, Synaptic Chaos Theatre |
| August 10–12, 2012 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 6,404 | The 404s, Johnny Yong Bosch, DaizyStripper, Eyeshine, Todd Haberkorn, Synaptic Chaos Theatre, Cathy Weseluck |
| August 9–11, 2013 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 8,058 | The 404s, Troy Baker, Capella, Kanon Wakeshima, DJ Shimamura, Patrick Seitz, Christopher Sabat, Twinfools and Nova, Lucas Gilbertson, Carol-Anne Day, Brendan Hunter, Combofiend. |
| August 8–10, 2014 | MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 8,728 | An Cafe, Magistina Saga, Satsuki Yukino, Cristina Vee, Monica Rial, Karen Strassman, Cherami Leigh, The 404's, Vensy |
| August 7–9, 2015 | MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 9,468 | Flow, Josh Grelle, Christine Marie Cabanos, Brina Palencia, Carrie Keranen, Jamie Marchi, Liui Aquino, Sarah Williams, The 404's |
| August 5–7, 2016 | MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 8,874 | Ladybeard, Lotus Juice, Another Story, AKIRA, Bryce Papenbrook, Eric Vale, Caitlin Glass, Misa Chiang, The 404's Improv, Orbis Symphony Orchestra |
| August 11–13, 2017 | MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta | 8,218 | Mika Kobayashi, The Sixth Lie, TeddyLoid, Josh Grelle, Max Mittelman, Micah Solusod, Ray Chase, Robbie Daymond, Baozi & Hana, TheIshter, The 404's Improv, Orbis Symphony Orchestra |
| August 10–12, 2018 | Shaw Conference Centre Edmonton, Alberta | 9,821 | Erica Lindbeck, Mela Lee, Kanako Ito, Jamie Marchi, Monica Rial, Daisuke Sakaguchi, ROOKIEZ is PUNK'D, The 404s, Stella Chuu, Orbis Symphony Orchestra |
| August 9–11, 2019 | Edmonton Convention Centre Edmonton, Alberta | 10,062 | Yoko Ishida, Sayaka Sasaki, ChouCho, Masakazu Ogawa (Sunrise Beyond), Kengo Kawanishi, Erika Harlacher, Daman Mills, Brendan Hunter, Phil Mizuno, King Redeem, Ricky Watson (Bang Zoom! Entertainment), Mami Okada (Bang Zoom! Entertainment), The 404s, Crunchyroll |
| August 5–7, 2022 | Edmonton Convention Centre Edmonton, Alberta | 14,617 | SennaRin, Nano, Chris Hackney, Khoi Dao, Laura Stahl, The 404s, Crunchyroll, Pure Octane, Windrise Band, Apricity Dance Crew, Hazumi Aileen, OniGiri, MuyingVT, Ariru, Yumemi, Aries Shepard, Muga, Silvi, Melon Minty |
| July 14–16, 2023 | Edmonton Convention Centre Edmonton, Alberta | 15,473 | Stereo Dive Foundation, Ai Furihata, Brianna Knickerbocker, Sarah Williams, Ratana, The 404s, James Landino, Pure Octane, Windrise Band, Apricity Dance Crew, Mimyu Dance Group, YuzuPyon, Yumemi, Silvi, EIEN Project, Teeny |
| August 9–11, 2024 | Edmonton Convention Centre Edmonton, Alberta | 15,000+ | Demondice, Myth & Roid, Konomi Suzuki, Yuki Nakashima, Aika Kobayashi, Sally Amaki, Miura Ayme, Kaho Shibuya, YuzuPyon, Dokibird, Teeny, Yumemi, Silvi, EIEN Project, Yoshiharu Ashino, Yoshihiro Watanabe, The 404s, Pure Octane |
| August 8–10, 2025 | Edmonton Convention Centre Edmonton, Alberta | | |

### A Taste of Animethon

A Taste of Animethon was first created in 2010. Initially, it was a smaller event meant to supplement ASAPA's lineup of events, but grew quickly and was eventually moved to the Shaw Conference Centre in 2016. It was suspended after the 2018 event due to the difficulties of simultaneously planning Animethon and an increasingly-large Taste of Animethon.
The event was intended to be revived in 2022 to make up for the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the event was ultimately cancelled due to Omicron variant.
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
| February 27, 2010 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 600 | Synaptic Chaos Theatre |
| February 12, 2011 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 800 | The 404s |
| January 28, 2012 | Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 1,200 | Synaptic Chaos Theatre |
| January 26, 2013 | The Ramada Conference Centre Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 1,505 | The 404s |
| January 31 – February 1, 2014 | The Ramada Conference Centre Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 2,295 | Kyle Hebert, The 404s, TheIshter |
| February 20–21, 2015 | The Ramada Conference Centre Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 2,371 | Bryce Papenbrook, The 404s, Courtney "Courtoon" Morelock |
| January 22–23, 2016 | Shaw Conference Centre Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 3,065 | Colleen Clinkenbeard, Reika, Misako Aoki, The 404s, TheIshter, Edmonton Concept Pop Orchestra |
| January 20–21, 2017 | Shaw Conference Centre Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 2,915 | Aza Miyuko, Cassandra Lee Morris, Clifford Chapin, Aimee Blackschleger, Hey Listen, Mike Sass, The 404s |
| January 19–20, 2018 | Shaw Conference Centre Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 2,926 | Bryson Baugus, Lauren Landa, Nobutoshi Canna, The 404s |

## ASAPA control

In 2004, the event was transferred to a new society, the Alberta Society for Asian Popular Arts (ASAPA), a non-profit society that focuses on the promotion and enjoyment of Asian popular art and culture. The society is also the financial and legal backbone of Animethon, formed under the Societies Act of Alberta.