It’s been 15 years since Anime Festival Asia Singapore (AFA SG) first charmed the local and regional anime, comics, and games (ACG) community, and this year’s iteration will return to celebrate all things Japanese culture. Running from 24 to 26 November, the event promises a strong roster of guests, performers, cosplayers, and other heavyweights on stage, as well as new activities for the general crowd.
Similar to the previous years, music and anime fans can look forward to three nights of entertainment from across 20 artistes and groups. The I Love Anisong concert will kick things off on 24 November with live acts from ASTERISM, Liyuu, May’n, NANO, Survive Said The Prophet, and Tatsuya Kitani, before VTubers take over the stage for the next day.
On 25 November, Sakura Miko, Hoshimachi Suisei, Ayunda Risu, Moona Hoshinova, Pavolia Reine, Kobo Kanaeru, Mori Calliope, IRyS, and Hakos Baelz are set to greet attendees for hololive Meet, which includes talk shows and a concert. The closing act, SACRA MUSIC FES., follows on 26 November, featuring artistes FLOW, ASCA, halca, spira spica, and a special appearance by Nami Tamaki.
While tickets are sold out for AFA x hololive Meet, a few are still available for the I Love Anisong and SACRA MUSIC FES concerts. The three-day VIP Ticket Packages — offering access to exhibition grounds, day stage, and additional perks like AFASG Fastlane access, ballot chances for artiste-signed posters, and postcard packs — have also been snapped up.
The AFA Day Stage, meanwhile, will welcome a series of screenings, guest talk shows, voice actor (seiyuu) appearances, and more. MAPPA, the animation studio behind recent anime hits like Attack on Titan Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man, is returning to host a special panel, following in last year’s footsteps.
The first wave of highlights is as follows:
| Date | Event Highlights | |
| 24 November | – SEA Special Premieres of Chained Soldier and Tales of Wedding Rings – Special Guests: Iori Moe (AFA 2023 Official Ambassador), Shigure Ui (Illustrator) | |
| 25 November | – Special Guests: Seiyuu Ai Kayano and Yumi Uchiyama from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, and Sumire Uesaka from Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian | |
| 26 November | – Special Guest: Seiyuu Soma Saito from Rurouni Kenshin – MAPPA Panel: Manabu Otsuka (CEO), Yuichiro Hayashi (Anime Director), and Mari Okada (Anime Director and Screenwriter) – Cardfight!! Vanguard Talk Stage: Seiyuu Amane Shindo, Yuka Nishio, and Hina Aoki |
Over at Akiba Stage, housed inside the exhibition areas, performances from both Japanese and local artistes and talent are set to blow the crowd away. In addition to fan favourite Japanese idol group DEAR KISS, other acts include Singaporean virtual idol group SO*DA, idol group Forbidden Equation, popular four-member group KissBee, Malaysian songstress Amelia Khor, VTuber production agency ASTRALINE, a showcase by four V-Reverie talents, and anime music party platform Golden Mix.
The stakes for the Cosplay Singles Competition have also been raised, with the winner receiving S$1,200 in cash and the opportunity to shine on stage. It won’t be the only contest, either — TikTok Live’s Friday Music Show and Virtual Talent Audition will see creators competing for the top spot to stand at the Akiba Stage.
Elsewhere, the Cosplay Hub sees 26 cosplay celebrities in the region, such as +Ely Cosplay+, Angie0_0, Amelia Khor 小飛鼠, Baobao, Charess, HanaAme 雨波, Kiyo, Larissa Rochefort, Xiaoyukiko, and YingTze. The stacked line-up serves to complement the highly-anticipated Creator’s Hub, which boasts over 120 creators from the world.
Rounding out the AFA SG 2023 experience are special collaborations that open up more activities to the masses. Bushiroad Expo Asia 2023 will hold trading card game tournaments and teaching sessions, while the Ultraman booth features Ultra appearances, live stage performances, a life-sized Gomora inflatable, and exclusive cards for the Ultraman Card Game.
It wouldn’t be a celebration without some merchandise, and there are plenty of that to go around. More than 70 exhibitors are showcasing their latest offerings, some of which are exclusive to the festival. HoYo FEST 2023, Kotobukiya, MEDIA Link, and content creator / cosplayer RURUSAMA will lead the charge. For the first time in Singapore, MEDIA Link is bringing exclusive merchandise from Oshi no Ko, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and Chainsaw Man.
AFA Singapore 2023 takes place from 24 to 26 November at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre (Levels 3 and 4). Building on last year’s iteration, visitors will get a specially-designed NFC-enabled band to facilitate a more game-like experience on-site, including interacting with various touch points to earn AFA coins.
Ticket prices for the festival start from S$28 for a one-day exhibition day pass and S$32 on the day of the event. The exhibition-and-stage pass retails for S$38 and S$43 on the event day. For the three-day passes, the exhibition-only tickets are available for S$80 (S$92 on the event day), while the exhibition-and-stage package comes in at S$110 (S$125 on the event day). Further information on the pricing and availability can be found on the AFA Singapore 2023 Ticketmaster page.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Linette Lin
