What is Youmacon?

Youmacon is a popular culture event similar to most “Comic Cons”, however instead of focusing on comic books, Youmacon is a celebration of Japanese popular culture and its influence on our own culture over the past few decades. Common themes throughout the event are Anime (Japanese animation), Video Games, Japanese style artwork and comics, and the rising internet culture influenced by all of the above.

Youmacon brings a unique all-ages mix of interactive events, celebrity guest panels, and live musical performances to Downtown Detroit. 

Wearing costumes, or “Cosplay” as it's known at conventions, is very popular with attendees of Youmacon. It is not uncommon to walk into a pair of Italian plumbers in overalls on the escalator, only to meet someone dressed as Edward Elric or Master Chief from Halo minutes later.

In the past ten years, we’ve grown from about 1,000 attendees at the Detroit / Troy Hilton in 2005, to becoming the first event to ever fill the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center to capacity in 2011, marking Youmacon as one of the fastest growing fan events in North America. In 2014, over 16,300 individuals came to Downtown Detroit for Youmacon! Although Youmacon is larger than most Anime Conventions, we’re not as big as San Diego Comic Con, Otakon, or Anime Expo. TL;DR: Youmacon is just the right size.