The largest pop culture convention in Central Asia will gather thousands of fans from different countries around the world, DKnews.kz reports.
Today, Comic Con Astana-2025 has launched in the capital of Kazakhstan — the largest pop culture festival in the CIS and Central Asia. This year, the event runs from July 9 to 13 and is expected to attract over 75,000 guests, including at least 10,000 foreign tourists.
Comic Con Astana has established itself as the largest and most popular geek festival in Central Asia, becoming a landmark event in the creative industry for fans of comics, movies, games, and pop culture.
It attracts a broad audience both within the country and beyond, contributing to the development of a tourist destination and strengthening the image of the capital as a center for large-scale events similar to Comic Con in New York, San Diego, and Dubai.
Comic Con Astana-2025 is held with the support of the Astana akimat and the tourism development center "Astana Tourism". The festival is taking place at two large venues:
- Barys Arena — the center of the show program, where the international cosplay contest will be held, featuring the main stage with autograph sessions, Q&A sessions, and meet-and-greets with headliners.
- Astana Arena — a large exhibition area with themed booths, branded installations, a smaller stage, a gaming zone, and Pop Asia.
This year, for the first time, the festival has gathered three Hollywood stars:
- Andy Serkis — British actor and director, a pioneer of motion capture (The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, Batman).
- Esai Morales — Hollywood star with a 40-year career (Ozark, Titans, Mission: Impossible, La Bamba).
- Scott Adkins — actor and martial arts master (the Undisputed series of films, John Wick 4, Doctor Strange, Ip Man 4).
All headliners will hold autograph sessions, Q&A sessions, and take part in press conferences.
The festival will feature the presentation of the film La Tregua — the first co-production between Kazakhstan and Spain created for global distribution and Netflix's global streaming service. The film tells the tragic chapters of the history of Karlag. The director of the film Miguel Ángel Vivas (Money Heist) and producer Emilio A. Pina (Premios Goya) will attend Comic Con Astana.
A traditional element of the program will once again be the international cosplay contest — with a prize pool of 15 million tenge. The jury includes Yaya Han (USA), Cinderys (France), Ran Hime (Kyrgyzstan), Frau Haku (Russia), Ainaven Elf! (Kazakhstan), Danik (Kazakhstan), Midday of Siberia (Russia), and others.
Among the special guests of the festival are Marmok, Qewbite, Anton Meels, Johan, Eugene Sagaz, Nastya Jackson, Big Gleb, creators of Metal Family, and other stars.
Additionally, during the event, there will be an official stage of the TEKKEN World Tour 2025 — an international tournament for the fighting game Tekken 8. Over 90 players will compete for ranking points and a prize pool of 400,000 tenge.
"Comic Con Astana is about people, new encounters, and creative energy. With each passing year, the festival grows and opens up to the world: new zones and formats emerge, world-class stars arrive, and more guests from different countries visit the capital of Kazakhstan to become part of the community. It is important for us that all guests find inspiration and like-minded individuals here. Moreover, the festival is a way to inform a wide audience about contemporary youth culture and introduce parents to their children's interests. We are especially happy when families come together, with older generations supporting their loved ones and becoming part of this grand show" Natalia Abrashkina, general producer of the festival
Additionally, there will be numerous themed zones and vibrant partner integrations at the festival, each offering guests a unique experience.
Visa is the official partner of Comic Con 2025, supporting the development of creativity and self-expression. "We believe that it's the small steps—from purchasing a ticket to participating in cosplay—that pave the way for great opportunities and inspiring stories," said company representatives.
As part of the festival, Freedom Bank and the payment system Visa have prepared themed photo zones, exclusive cards, branded merchandise, and many pleasant surprises for guests. Additionally, a special nomination will be established by Freedom Bank and Visa as part of the international cosplay contest.
The fast food restaurant chain I’M is coming back to the festival. The real gastronomic discovery of this year will be the French dog, a juicy novelty that can be tried for the first time at the festival venue. Guests will also enjoy a stylish photo zone for vivid shots and a win-win raffle with pleasant surprises.
The Perfetti Van Melle company will be represented by the legendary Chupa Chups brand. Guests of the brand zone will see spectacular installations in the Chupa Chups signature style – perfect for colourful photos – as well as surprises and gifts that will allow everyone to take away a piece of that very taste of happiness and childhood.
