ASTANA – Comic Con Astana 2025 launched in the capital of Kazakhstan on July 9, promising to be the biggest edition by welcoming 75,000 guests, including 10,000 international pop culture enthusiasts. The event will run through July 13.
Comic Con Astana 2025 will welcome 75,000 guests, including 10,000 international tourists. Photo credit: Comic Con press service
The hall and stages are set for one of Central Asia’s most anticipated cosplaying events of the year, celebrating the increasingly popular world of comics, anime, artwork, games.
This year, the organizers wanted to make sure that everyone who wanted to attend the festival had the opportunity to do so. Determined to break their own attendance record, the team expanded the venue to include two sports complexes, Barys Arena and Astana Arena.
According to Natalia Abrashkina, general producer of the festival, they also wanted to expand the content and activities to better engage an older audience.
“We saw that the audience that had been with us since the very first Comic Con in 2019 had grown, and the content, accordingly, also had to grow. So this year, the task was to create interesting areas for both the youngest guests and older people, so that they could come with their families,” said Abrashkina.
“Last year, we saw how grandmothers joined their grandchildren in cosplay, which was really heartwarming. The goal was to support the interests of the older generation so that they could see what their children are passionate about. We wanted to create a space where families could enjoy the festival together and share the fun of such a joyful event,” she added.
Dozens of hands-on workshops have been set up this year for everyone interested. Visitors can try their hand at making a real chainmail or crafting helmets. Unlike last year, when only 10–15 people could take part at a time, this year the workshops can accommodate over 200 participants simultaneously — a significant expansion reflecting the growing interest in the event.
A traditional element of the program will once again be the international cosplay contest with a prize pool of 15 million tenge (~US$28,000).
“The challenge in creating a costume lies in the fact that the craftsmen who make certain details live in different countries around the world, so you have to search for them,” said Kairat, one of the contest participants, who cosplayed as Captain Jack Sparrow from the renowned “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.
“Take the medallion from the film, for example — it was custom-made for me by a craftsman in New Zealand. The suede boots were made in Italy by an Italian shoemaker. Every detail: the metal buckles, the embossed leather—everything has to be top quality, exactly like in the movie. I was aiming for 100% authenticity,” said Kairat.
Another contestant, Zhuldyzai, is cosplaying Tomyris — the ancient queen of the Massagetae, a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia in the sixth century before the common era (BCE).
“I’ve always loved the history of Kazakhstan. I’ve been studying it since I was little. I think Tomyris was an incredibly brave woman who stood her ground and defended her honor. If I’m not mistaken, a film about her came out around 2019, and I absolutely loved it. The actress did an amazing job bringing the character to life. I was really impressed by her performance and was inspired by that character,” said Zhuldyzai.
Among the special guests of the festival are British actor Andy Serkis, Hollywood star Esai Morales, and British actor Scott Adkins.
The tickets are available at Ticketon website.
