Photos by: Kat Astrophe
Anime Festival Orlando’s 25th anniversary weekend at the Rosen Plaza delivered cosplay, voice actors, vendors, and memories that the Orlando anime community won’t forget anytime soon
Some conventions you attend. Some conventions you experience. Anime Festival Orlando 2026 was firmly in the second category.
From Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21, the Rosen Plaza on International Drive transformed into the undisputed center of Central Florida’s anime and Japanese pop culture universe. Thousands of fans poured through the doors over three days — cosplayers in builds that took months to construct, voice actor fans clutching items to be signed, first-timers wide-eyed at the sheer scale of it all, and veterans who’ve been coming back year after year because AFO keeps earning it. The 25th anniversary edition delivered in every possible way, and the weekend’s photos tell a story that words alone can’t fully capture.
The Cosplay: Where AFO Truly Lives
If you want to understand what makes Anime Festival Orlando special, start with the cosplay — because nowhere else in Florida will you find this concentration of creativity, craftsmanship, and pure fandom passion packed into a single hotel convention space.
The weekend’s cosplay highlights were staggering in their range and quality. One of the most jaw-dropping builds on the floor was an extraordinary full-armor warrior cosplay rendered entirely in black and gold — an intricate suit of handcrafted armor complete with an enormous matching shield and weapon, every surface etched with elaborate detail work. The cosplayer posed in full battle stance, and the effect was genuinely breathtaking. This was art.
Three Pokémon-inspired glamour cosplays posed together on what appeared to be an adjacent convention step-and-repeat, their bejeweled and feathered interpretations of fan-favorite characters turning heads and drawing phones out of pockets at every turn.
The Guests: The Signing Tables Were Busy All Weekend
AFO’s guest room hummed with activity from the moment the convention floor opened Friday morning straight through Sunday afternoon.
Gabe Kunda — whose credits span My Hero Academia, Fairy Tail, Chainsaw Man, Apex Legends, Valorant, and One Piece — held court at a signing table beneath his bold character banner, connecting with fans of his wide-ranging work in both anime dubbing and gaming. 
At the Aaron Dismuke table, fans brought an array of memorabilia — Dragon Ball Daima, Kaiju No. 8, and more featured on the adjacent banner, a testament to Dismuke’s remarkable range across decades of English dub history.
Voice actress Anastasia Muñoz brought warmth and accessibility to her signing table, with a cosplayer in a striking black and white ensemble visiting for what appeared to be a genuinely delightful interaction — the kind of moment that reminds you why meeting the voices behind your favorite characters in person is something no streaming service can replicate.
The Programming: More Than Just a Floor to Walk
AFO’s programming spaces were packed throughout the weekend. Panel rooms filled to capacity and stayed that way — one photo from inside an active panel captures the full-room energy perfectly, rows of smiling, laughing attendees completely locked into whatever was happening on stage. That image says more about AFO’s programming quality than any schedule description could.
The Craft Corner added a genuinely sweet touch to the convention experience — a lit-up room where cosplayers and fans could sit down, slow down, and make something with their hands. Staffed by cheerful volunteers, the space welcomed attendees of all ages and skill levels, offering a calm creative refuge in the middle of three days of sensory excitement.
Twenty-Five Years, and Getting Better
AFO 2026 was a celebration of 25 years — but more than that, it was proof that the convention remains vital, creative, and deeply connected to the community that built it.
The cosplay was exceptional. The guests were accessible and enthusiastic. The programming was full. The energy never dropped.
If you were there, you already know. If you weren’t — start planning for next year.
NocedoPhoto Media Group
NocedoPhoto Media Group is an innovative and creative consortium that unites photographers, writers, cosplayers, event promoters, vendors, costume and prop makers, and other creatives under one roof to use their collective skills to maximize their distribution and presence on digital media platforms. Their goal is to create a well-rounded and successful network for all involved.
