Madman Anime Festival


Anime Festival is an annual Australian anime and Japanese culture convention held in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. The convention is organised by Madman Entertainment. The convention was inaugurated in 2016 and held in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre as a two-day event from the 3–4 September 2016 in Melbourne. The convention was later expanded to Perth and Brisbane in 2017 after a successful inaugural event, with each event held a few months apart, and to Sydney in 2019.

Event history

DateLocationVenueNotable Events
3–4 September 2016MelbourneMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
4–5 March 2017PerthPerth Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Erica Mendez, Crispin Freeman, Shingo Adachi, Angie, Knitemaya
  • First to hold The World of Sword Art Online exhibit in Australia
  • IA Vocaloid concert
  • Premiere screening of, English re-dub
  • 10–11 June 2017BrisbaneBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Cherami Leigh, Ying Tze, Yūko Miyamura, Orochi X, Pinky Lu Xun, Katyuska Moonfox
  • First presentation of Attack on Titan The Exhibition - Wall Australia
  • Itasha Exhibition
  • Premiere screening of, English dub, Dragon Ball Super English dub
  • 4–5 November 2017MelbourneMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Shinichirō Watanabe, Kana Ueda, Atsuhiro Iwakami, Bryce Papenbrook, Ladybeard, AGS102
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Ely, AmenoKitarou, Orochi X, Pinky Lu Xun, Knitemaya
  • Exclusive Your Name exhibition
  • Exclusive Cowboy Bebop exhibition
  • Premiere screening of Mary and the Witch's Flower,, No Game No Life: Zero,
  • Exclusive access to play Dragon Ball FighterZ before release, Attack on Titan in VR
  • Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours First LoveLive! ~Step! Zero to One~ concert
  • Announcement of Shinichirō Watanabe's upcoming anime
  • 4–5 March 2018PerthPerth Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Shingo Adachi, Go Suzuki, Tomoya Nishigushi, Ray Chase
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Jin, Miguel, Kirilee, Giorgia
  • Premiere screening of English dub, Attack on Titan: Roar of Awakening
  • Exclusive access to play Attack on Titan 2 before release
  • 2–3 June 2018BrisbaneBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Yui Ishikawa, J. Michael Tatum, AGS102
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Baobao, Jutsu Cosplay
  • Premiere screening of, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me
  • 15–16 September 2018MelbourneMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by Christopher Sabat, Luna Haruna, Nanaka Suwa, Ayako Kawasumi, Kōki Uchiyama
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Pugoffka
  • World premiere screening of
  • Premiere screening of I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, Penguin Highway,, K: Seven Stories 1 and 2
  • Access to play My Hero One's Justice, Jump Force, Black Clover: Quartet Knights, Dragon Ball FighterZ for Nintendo Switch,, Soulcalibur VI, Taiko no Tatsujin, Devil May Cry 5 before Australian release
  • Dragon Ball Super exclusive display
  • One Piece display
  • Tokyo Ghoul Twitter art display
  • Hatsune Miku Magical Mirai 2017 concert
  • 16–17 March 2019SydneyInternational Convention Centre Sydney
  • Attendance by Cherami Leigh, Sumire Morohoshi, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Satoshi Tsuruoka, Shizuka Kurosaki, Hideaki Itsuno, Matthew Walker, Eir Aoi, Asuka Ōkura, DJ Kazu, Shinichiro Miki, Kazuki Yao, AGS102
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Ely
  • Premiere screening of,, Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow
  • Dragon Ball Super Broly photo spot
  • Tokyo Ghoul: Sui Ishida manga artwork display
  • Sword Art Online exhibition
  • Fate/Grand Order experience
  • One Piece display
  • 25–26 May 2019BrisbaneBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by: Erica Mendez, Shingo Adachi, Go Suzuki, Yumiko Yamamoto, AGS102
  • Live online meet and greet with: Ayahi Takagaki, Aki Toyosaki
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Mangalphantom
  • Premiere screening of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? The Movie: Arrow of the Orion
  • World premiere screening of episode 8
  • Tokyo Ghoul:re Kagune display
  • The Promised Neverland exhibition
  • 14–15 September 2019MelbourneMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by: Cherami Leigh, Natsuki Hanae. Akari Kito, Aina Aiba, Shinichiro Miki, Yuu Asakawa, Yuuma Takahashi, Shizuka Kurosaki, AGS102
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Aza Miyuko, K & A.K Wirru
  • Premiere screening of One Piece Stampede, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, BanG Dream! FILM LIVE, Promare, My Hero Academia Season 4 English dub, Anemone: Psalm of Planets Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution
  • World premiere screening of episode 24
  • Screening of Human Lost
  • 5–6 October 2019PerthPerth Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Attendance by: Cristina Vee, Haruo Sotozaki, Akira Matsushima, Yuuma Takahashi, AGS102
  • Live link with Sally Amaki as Sakura Fujima from 22/7
  • Screening of Promare, One Piece Stampede, My Hero Academia Season 4 English dub, Anemone: Psalm of Planets Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution
  • World premiere screening of Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld episodes 1 and 2
  • Screening of episodes 1 and 2
  • 7–8 March 2020SydneyInternational Convention Centre Sydney
  • Attendance by: Bryce Papenbrook, Ricco Fajardo, David Matranga, Shingo Adachi, Arisa Uki, AGS102
  • Attendance by cosplayers: Mon, A.K Wirru
  • Premiere screening of
  • Premiere screening of
  • World premiere of Season 2
  • World premiere of My Hero Academia Season 4 Episode 21
  • Screening of Live Spectacle NARUTO ~Song of the Akatsuki~
  • Access to play Final Fantasy VII Remake before release
  • Access to play Bandai Namco games before release
  • 23–24 May 2020 BrisbaneBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • The event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 29–30 August 2020 MelbourneMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • The event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 3–4 October 2020 PerthPerth Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • The event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic