ASTANA – British-Spanish actor Taz Skylar, best known for portraying Sanji in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “One Piece,” has been announced as the latest headlining guest of the fifth-anniversary Comic Con Astana, which will take place from Aug. 6-9.
Taz Skylar. Photo credit:Brad Ogbonna / Netflix
Beyond acting, Skylar is also a screenwriter, director and producer, as well as an avid extreme sports enthusiast. He is the winner of a People’s Choice Award for his work on the short film “Multi-Facial.”
At Comic Con Astana, Skylar is expected to appear on the festival’s main stage, participate in a fan Q&A, and take part in autograph and photo sessions, reported Comic Con’s press service on July 9.
Another previously announced headline guest is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, internationally recognized for portraying Jaime Lannister in “Game of Thrones.”
The festival lineup also includes creative duo Kamui Cosplay, bloggers and content creators SuperCrastan (Danya Kraster), Jane Kravitz, Karrambaby, Dobryak and Dalbek.
Comic Con Astana 2026 will also feature a performance by South Korean K-pop group Kandis, who represented South Korea on Kazakhstan’s international television singing competition Silk Way Star. The group attracted widespread attention with its Korean-language rendition of the Kazakh song “Kesh Meni” (“Forgive Me” in English), which went viral on social media.
The fifth anniversary edition of Comic Con Astana will once again span two venues. Barys Arena will host the main stage and headline celebrity appearances, while the Alau Ice Palace will feature themed zones, exhibitor and partner booths, gaming areas, presentations, interactive experiences and other entertainment.
The festival’s international cosplay contest will return with a prize fund of 20 million tenge (US$42,833), making it one of the largest cosplay tournaments in the region.
Comic Con Astana has established itself as the largest modern pop culture festival in Central Asia. Previous headline guests have included Mads Mikkelsen, Andy Serkis, Pilou Asbæk, Scott Adkins, Esai Morales, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Percy Hynes White, Pierre Spengler and Alexander Kuznetsov.
