It would hardly be a post-convention news cycle without organisers congratulating themselves, and this year’s Anime Expo is no exception. Fresh from wrapping its 34th event on 7 July 2025, The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is celebrating what it calls another “unforgettable” four-day run at Los Angeles Convention Center and surrounding L.A. LIVE venues. Across the four days, Anime Expo 2025 drew more than 410,000 turnstile entries from fans representing over 65 countries and, according to SPJA estimates, funnelled roughly $110 million USD into local businesses – not too shabby.
During this year’s festivities, attendees had more than 1,300 hours of programming to sample, ranging from world-premiere screenings to concerts, guest panels and the convention’s first-ever Sukeban women’s pro-wrestling championship bout. High-profile guests included FINAL FANTASY luminary Naoki Yoshida, manga duo Peach Pit, horror writer artist Ryukishi07, and Mokumokuren, whose The Summer Hikaru Died continues to garner awards attention. Paru Itagaki (SANDA) and live-sketch specialist Yasuto Sasada also kept crowds fixed on the Creative Workshop stage across the weekend.
This ballooning schedule forced Anime Expo to sprawl further into the downtown precinct, annexing Peacock Theater and Peacock Place and even prompting temporary street closures. However, growth brings friction: rising labour and venue fees, coupled with long-stalled plans to expand the convention centre ahead of the 2028 Olympics, have SPJA openly questioning whether Los Angeles can continue to host North America’s largest celebration of Japanese pop culture. Chief executive Ray Chiang signalled as much in the following statement:
The Los Angeles Convention Center has been our home for more than 15 years, and we are deeply grateful to the city and community for their ongoing support. However, our top priority has always been to deliver an exceptional experience for our attendees and partners. As we evaluate next steps, we remain committed to transparency and to finding the best possible path for Anime Expo’s future.
While that evaluation unfolds, planning is already under way for Anime Expo’s smaller spin-off, Anime Eexpo Chibi, slated for 8–9 November 2025 at the Ontario Convention Center in California.
