Atlanime Fest Returns For Four-Day Celebration…
Atlanta’s anime lovers are preparing to energy up because Atlanime Fest is back, and this time, the celebration is taking over town for 4 days.
Source: Atlanime Fest / @ATLanimefest
Atlanime Fest will return Oct. 15-18 for its second yr, increasing from a single-day pageant into a multi-venue weekend bringing together hip-hop, anime, gaming, fashion, and Black creativity. The festivities will happen across Underground Atlanta and Monday Night Garage, with comic Funny Marco, Pudgieee, and Rae Sremmurd’s Slim Jxmmi included in the lineup.
Saturday’s main pageant at Underground Atlanta might be hosted by Funny Marco alongside co-host Pudgieee, while Slim Jxmmi, Cochise, DRAM, Duke Deuce, Troop Brand, Domani and Super Duper Kyle are among the artists slated to carry out.
A press release studies that the pageant was created as a celebration of the intersection between Black tradition and anime, notably for a technology that grew up with reveals like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto enjoying alongside the soundtrack of Atlanta hip-hop.
Cosplay, streetwear, gaming, music, and animation will all share space throughout the weekend, with Black artists and creators getting an alternative to highlight how deeply those worlds have grow to be intertwined.
From Trap Sushi To A Four-Day Festival
Atlanime Fest’s growth comes after years of neighborhood building through Trap Sushi, the Atlanta anime and hip-hop get together based by Tolden “Troop” Williams and Stephanie Williams in 2020.
Source: Atlanime Fest / @ATLanimefest
According to pageant organizers, the first Trap Sushi event welcomed just 25 people. Within three years, its crowds had grown to roughly 2,500 anime followers, avid gamers, and creators.
That momentum finally led to the inaugural Atlanime Fest in 2025.
Now, Williams says the pageant is giving Black anime followers the sort of space he once wished existed.
“Atlanta has always been where culture gets remixed. We grew up on Dragon Ball Z and Naruto the same way we grew up on the music coming out of this city. For a long time, Black fans didn’t have a space that felt like ours. We started Trap Sushi to fix that, and Atlanime Fest is what happens when that community grows up. This isn’t a convention. It’s a festival for the culture, built by the culture.”
That mission is growing alongside the pageant itself.
“Year two is about scale and representation,” Atlanime Fest CMO and Managing Partner Elijah Watkins said. “We’re putting Black animators who have worked on some of the biggest titles in anime in front of the next generation. We’re investing in creators through our Content Creator Incubator. And we’re bringing fashion, gaming, music and sports into one weekend.”
Atlanime Fest 2026 Has A Little Bit Of Everything
The four-day expertise kicks off Thursday, Oct. 15, with a gaming event and mixer from 7-11 p.m. at Monday Night Garage.
On Friday, programming shifts toward the creatives serving to form anime tradition.
The day contains a Black Animators Panel that includes professionals with credit related to Jujutsu Kaisen, MAPPA productions, and NieR:Automata. The animators will focus on their careers, the industry, and pathways accessible for Black artists in animation.
Slim Jxmmi and Troop Brand will also sit down for a live taping of No Spoilers, adopted by a Content Creators Panel.
Fashion will get its own second Friday night with The Fashion Arc, a streetwear-meets-anime fashion show that includes a head-to-head designer competitors and taking part manufacturers touring from Japan and China.
The pageant is also investing in rising creators through its Content Creator Incubator. More than 300 creators utilized for this system, according to organizers, with 100 accepted and 10 in the end chosen for mentorship with OmgItsNikeFinesse, MyMySenpai, ItsAndrewz, Will6lake and Ssblayze.
Funny Marco, Slim Jxmmi & More Take Over Underground Atlanta
Saturday, Oct. 17, marks Atlanime Fest’s main event.
From 1-8 p.m., Underground Atlanta will rework into the middle of the pageant with live performances, esports, distributors, food and interactive experiences.
In addition to Slim Jxmmi, Cochise, DRAM, Duke Deuce, Troop Brand, Domani and Super Duper Kyle, the lineup contains Kiko Blac, Keats, Dear Silas, Pell, OK Coop, Phvnzo, B.U.G Antman, Lucid Luunar, Miiraahe, Von Moon, NoasVoice, Malia Dishon and MTM Standard.
Source: Atlanime Fest / @ATLanimefest
Tokyo Trendz, Proper Frequency, Wavy Lachii, Mami Popo, Whipp Appeal, Smartt and Kreme are among the DJs scheduled throughout the pageant.
Anime Sundays, Shaquan Parson, Ssblayze, CutiePieSensei, Nike Finesse, MyMySenpaii, ItsAndrewz, Orange King, Anime Fitness Gang and Will6lake are also anticipated to make particular appearances.
Beyond the main stage, attendees can try esports, the Naruto Training Arc, an Orange King car show, Anime Alley, a vendor corridor, food choices, activations and even an anime nail salon.
Community Day Closes Out The Weekend
The festivities continue Sunday with a Celebrity Soccer Game from 2-4 p.m. at Underground Atlanta before the weekend wraps with a Closing Day Party from 5-9 p.m. at Monday Night in West Midtown.
Partner occasions will also happen throughout the weekend, including the Trap Sushi DBZ After Party, Pokémon vs. Digimon, Anime & Skate at Cascade Skating Rink, and Paint n Sip occasions. Those experiences require separate tickets and usually are not included with pageant passes.
Festival Day Passes for Saturday start at $46 and embody access to programming, performances, Anime Alley, the gaming lounge, activations, and food and beverage areas.
Source: Atlanime Fest / @ATLanimefest
Weekend Badges start at $115 and embody admission to official programming across all 4 days, precedence access to The Fashion Arc, and a commemorative badge and lanyard.
Atlanime Fest is proving that Black anime tradition deserves more.
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