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May 19-21, 2023
Otafest 2023
Telus Convention Centre, 120 9 Ave. S.E.
Friday, May 19: 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 a.m.
Saturday, May 20 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 a.m.
Sunday, May 21: 10:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Tickets:
3-Day General (13+ yrs.): $60.00 until May 17
3-Day Youth (6-12 yrs.): $10.00
3-Day Child (0-5 yrs.): FREE
Friday General: $40.00
Saturday General: $40.00
Sunday General: $40.00
All tickets include admission to the entire festival, including Exhibitor Hall, concerts, panels, events, guest spotlights, and more.
Calgary’s Japanese pop culture festival. Shop. Cosplay. Games. Anime. Join a community and meet your favorite stars! Check out over 100 hours of programming facilitated by fans, members of the community, special guests, and staff, the huge Exhibitor Hall and Artist Alley for amazing art and merchandise, autograph signings, guest meet & greets, concerts, photo booth, video game tournaments, Pokémon league, Maid & Butler Café, and so much more.
Otafest was born in 1999 when the University of Calgary's Dedicated Otaku Anime Club decided to have a 1 day film festival showing Japanese Animation (anime) to the public. Over the next decades, Otafest grew into a larger festival run by a non-profit organization (The Otafest Film and Cultural Festival Planning Committee) and while it still showcases anime, it’s just a part of the festival experience.
Otafest is an annual conference for anime enthusiasts. It is a creative outlet for fans, where you can show your passion and appreciation of the hobby. It is a space for you to show off the costumes you have made, the music videos you have created, and the art you have painted and drawn. Otafest is a forum for discussion and education. It hosts educational panels introducing you to the basics of the Japanese language and tips on how to use computer programs to enhance music videos and CG art. In the past, it has hosted guests who explained the process of donning a kimono, demonstrated the intricacies of tea ceremonies, and Iaido (the art of drawing a sword from a scabbard). It has also invited guests involved in the voice acting and animation industries to speak of their experiences.
Otafest is a marketplace. It gathers dozens of vendors together from all over Western Canada to facilitate the best bargain hunting in town. And, of course, it hasn’t forgotten our roots: Otafest is an anime festival. Each year, it hosts charity events and fundraisers during the festival to be donated to that year’s selected charity. Dedicated rooms such as the Maid Cafe donate their proceeds to the charity as well.
Main Events & Guest Events
The main live programming events at Otafest are those big key events you really don't want to miss.
Silver Stars Masquerade Ball
The 25th anniversary keynote event! Dance the night away, share some delightful anecdotes of 25 years’ worth of shenanigans, and fill a time capsule with dearest wishes for the future!
Otafest’s Main Events Room (Macleod BCD)
Saturday 8:00 p.m.–Midnight
Otafest AMPLIFIED
Join musical guests for an unforgettable night of dancing and making new friends! Our concert and dance party features a lineup of musical guests from various genres that’s sure to get you moving.
Otafest’s Main Events Room (Macleod BCD)
Friday 6:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Artist Alley
Otafest’s Artist Alley brings together a multifaceted array of original creative talent. Artists sell a wide variety of work including drawings, charms, handmade plushies, and more. Some will also take commission requests for custom pieces.
Vendor Hall
The Otafest Vendor Hall is full of booths where you can find official figures, manga, plushies, posters, and much more.
Gaming Events
Board, card and video games.
Cosplay Events
Otafest hosts multiple cosplay contests including performance pieces, craftsmanship contests, and more. Show off your hard work and win cash prizes.
Maid & Butler Café
Idol Festival
The Ota Factor
Photo Ops
Exhibitor Hall
Sketch Drive
Community Corner
Cosplay HQ, Repair Station, & Contests
Pokemon League
Arcade
Gunpla Hangar
Manga Library
Community Panels
AMV Contest & Showings
Anime Showings
Autographs & Guest Panels
Charity Auction
CONbini
How It's Made: Cosplay Edition
… and a whole lot more!
Special Guests/Speakers:
KristiclesGG, Cosplay Guest
Dave Rodgers, Musical Guest
Digital Planet, Musical Guest
Girl_dm_, Gaming Guest
Larissa Crawford, Industry Guest
The Runaway Guys, Gaming Guest
and more.
Otafest welcomes MEOW Foundation as its 2023 Charity Partner!
MEOW Foundation is a cageless rescue with a no-kill mandate. MEOW has assisted over 40,000 feline lives and counting since their inception. MEOW’s core programs include rescue and adoption, trap neuter return, spay neuter assistance, and a cat food assistance program. MEOW also offers cat care information and spay/neuter education to the public to promote responsible pet ownership and reduce the pet overpopulation problem. MEOW helps over 2,500 cats and kittens each year.
The rescue is well known for its expertise in cat behavior and evidence-based humane programs to reduce cat overpopulation. MEOW was also the first Calgary-based animal welfare organization to promote the adoption instead of euthanization of cats with special needs.
Many Otafest staff members are cat owners and MEOW’s guiding principles of Respect, Standard of Care, Cats & People, and Collaboration strongly align with their own core values. They support the MEOW Foundation in its mission of championing the well-being of cats through humane programs, advocacy, and education.