From July 9 to 13, the capital of Kazakhstan once again confirmed its status as the largest center of pop culture in Central Asia. The Comic Con Astana-2025 festival took place with record numbers and became a vivid demonstration of Kazakhstan's successful integration into the global creative industry, DKnews.kz reports.
The convention was held with the support of the akimat of Astana and the tourism development center "Astana Tourism", uniting two large venues for the first time — Astana Arena and Barys Arena.
According to updated data, Comic Con Astana gathered over 75,000 unique visitors, with a total attendance exceeding 120,000. The daily attendance was distributed as follows: 13,500 people on the first day, 15,500 on the second, 14,500 on the third, 19,500 on the fourth, and 12,200 on the fifth.
The event welcomed over 10,000 foreign guests from 36 countries, including the USA, Canada, France, Germany, China, South Korea, Turkey, Thailand, Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Oman, and others.
Founded in 2019, Comic Con Astana has quickly transformed into the largest platform for geek and pop culture in Central Asia, bringing together fans and creators from different countries around the world.
Each year, Comic Con Astana grows in terms of guests, international stars, and economic impact: the average spending of a tourist per day in the city is 118,000 tenge, and the average duration of a visit is three days. Thus, just from the stay of foreign guests, the expected multiplier effect for the economy of the capital and the country exceeds 3.5 billion tenge. This confirms the significance of such events for the development of both the cultural and economic aspects of our country and capital.
Among the headliners of Comic Con Astana-2025 are Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Batman), Esai Morales (Ozark, Mission Impossible), and Scott Adkins (the Undisputed sequels, Doctor Strange).
Special guests include director Miguel Ángel Vivas (Money Heist), producer Emilio A. Pina (organizer of five Goya Awards ceremonies), vloggers Marmok, Qewbite, Nastya Jackson, Anton Meels, top cosplayers Yaya Han and Cinderys, and many others.
The festival featured the presentation of the international project La Tregua — the first co-production between Kazakhstan and Spain for global distribution and the global streaming service Netflix.
At the Authors' Alley and in the fair zone, over 150 Kazakhstani artists and craftsmen showcased their works across various genres. Comic Con Astana once again proved to be a platform for promoting young talents: artists, comic book authors, animators, designers, and game developers who find their way to a wide audience, brands, and investors here.
The festival program also included autograph sessions and Q&As with celebrities, geek fairs and merchandise zones, masterclasses, an Asian pop culture zone, a gaming area, and hundreds of fan activities. The main stage hosted an international contest featuring around 200 talented cosplayers with a prize pool of 15 million tenge, further confirming Comic Con Astana's status as a leader in the cosplay stage in the CIS.
Overall, the Astana festival has become a benchmark for the entire region and established itself as the main platform for promoting projects by international studios in Central Asia and the CIS.
Thus, as noted by festival producers Beksultan Abdrakhmanov and Natalia Abrashkina the capital of Kazakhstan is strengthening its position as a dynamic and modern metropolis capable of hosting and organizing world-class events, significantly enhancing its status and influence on the international cultural and business stage. Comic Con Astana is not only the largest geek platform in the region and a multiplier for tourism and urban business but also a way to tell a broad audience about contemporary youth culture and unite generations.
Natalia Abrashkina also added that families often attend the festival together; parents learn about their children's interests and become part of this grand show:
"Our festival is a way to introduce a wide audience to contemporary youth culture and give young authors and creators a chance to make themselves known. For parents, it's an opportunity to see what their children are passionate about and share their interests."
According to preliminary estimates, the total media reach of Comic Con Astana-2025 exceeded 200 million people, further confirming that Astana is the creative capital of Eurasia, becoming a magnet for pop culture fans from around the world.
