Anime St. Pete is turning five, and the 2026 celebration is taking over the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront September 26–27 with a weekend that goes well beyond the usual convention floor.
The fifth anniversary brings Anime St. Pete to a new venue and packs the weekend with cosplay, anime, gaming, music, celebrity guests, contests and plenty of opportunities for fans to get involved. Saturday runs from 10 AM to 10 PM, followed by Sunday hours from 11 AM to 5 PM.
Cosplay is front and center throughout the weekend, with a craftsmanship and novice cosplay contest, a pool-themed cosplay contest, a Sunday runway contest and a special raffle for attendees who arrive in costume. There are also plenty of chances for cosplayers to hang out, take photos and show off the work that went into their costumes.
Then there is the music. J-pop and K-pop fans have several random dance events on the schedule, along with the Hanabi Idol Fest featuring live singing, performances and cosplay dance groups. Saturday night continues poolside with another cosplay contest before nerdcore artist GxG Wolf takes the stage.
Anime St. Pete also has plenty for fans who prefer their fandom a little more interactive. Anime Jeopardy, theme-song guessing games, trivia, bracelet making, trinket trading, Just Dance and fan panels give attendees plenty of ways to jump into the action instead of simply walking around the convention.
The guest lineup adds some serious anime credentials to the weekend, with voice actor panels featuring Henry Dittman and Dorothy Fahn discussing Naruto on Saturday, followed by Tom Fahn and Joshua Seth talking Digimon on Sunday.
More than 100 vendor booths will also fill the new venue, giving attendees plenty of opportunities to hunt for anime merchandise and other fandom finds. A special shopping rewards program even gives qualifying purchases a chance to earn tickets to other Florida Comic Cons events.
And when the regular convention programming winds down, Anime St. Pete keeps going. The Anime Splash celebration brings the party to the hotel pool and bar/lounge area, complete with a DJ, guest cosplayers, a cosplay contest and giveaways.
Five years in, Anime St. Pete has clearly developed its own flavor. The 2026 anniversary weekend mixes anime fandom with music, dancing, cosplay, games and a little poolside chaos, making this a celebration that feels built for fans who don’t want the fun to stop when the panels end.
Beam Me Up Scotty
Old punk rocker from Miami who still smells faintly like comic shops and poor financial decisions.
