Biggest comic conventions in the world! Best in the world!
I am quite enjoying making these lists of big comic conventions. There is truly a ton of amazing fan conventions across the world. While the focus usually seems to be in North America, we cannot forget that there are TONS of other big conventions in many other places. That is what we will focus on today: the biggest comic conventions in the world.
Before we begin though…
You might think that both Anime and Comic conventions are similar enough, but they are quite different. I explain in full detail here. But the TLDR: Comic cons are more about Western-focused fandoms with a bigger dealer’s room and generally bigger name guests.
Meanwhile, Anime conventions are all about…the Anime! And I find there are generally more panels and activities to do at Anime cons, and they tend to be open later than comic cons (some stay open all night).
Both are good in their own way! But that doesn’t mean there’s no Anime at Comic cons; in fact, Anime is becoming more of a staple at Comic cons in recent years. So just because you’re more into Anime than comics potentially, don’t let that stop from attending comic conventions; they’re a lot of fun as well!
Anyways, let’s answer the question…
What is the biggest comic convention in the world?
In terms of the biggest comic convention in the world, by the largest is Comiket in Tokyo, Japan. This annual event is massive. With approximately 750,000 attendees in 2019, no other Anime convention even comes close to this attendance number. However, there are many other big comic conventions in the world that are big in their own right. Examples include New York Comic Con in the United States, Lucca Comic & Games in Italy and MCM London Comic Con in Europe.
In this post, I’ll go over the 10 biggest comic conventions in the world. that you should definitely consider attending. These are some of the most popular events as of 2023!
Similar to my article regarding the biggest Anime conventions in the world, I will separate this list into the continents of the world. But this time, we have one extra continent on top of Asia, Europe and North America. This time, a convention in South America surprisingly made the list! As for the other continents…who knows, maybe there will be a big comic convention in Antarctica one day!
As mentioned earlier, this list only is for COMIC conventions; other events such as Anime conventions don’t count. So you won’t be seeing cons such as Anime Expo or Anime NYC on this list, even though they’re just as big, if not bigger than some of these Anime conventions. If you’re looking for a list of the biggest Anime conventions, click here.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Comic conventions in South America
What a pleasant surprise! I didn’t think there would be an event in South America that would make the list of biggest comic cons. There are plenty of fan conventions in South America, but usually on the smaller scale. However, there is one particular event that is MASSIVE in attendance size…
1. CCXP
| Name | CCXP |
| Location | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Venue location | Sao Paulo Expo |
| Number of attendees | 262,000 in 2018 |
| Next event date | Thursday November 30 – Sunday December 3, 2023 |
Initially, I was going to exclude the continent of South America on this list, because I thought there weren’t any big comic cons in this part of the world. That was until I found out about CCXP (previously known as Comic Con Experience).
Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, CCXP is one of the largest comic conventions in the world! With 262,000 attendees in 2018, this convention has surprised me in how large a con in Latin America can be. Not only that, the event has big-name guests that have attended, including: Keanu Reeves, Jenna Ortega and Jason Momoa!
What’s fascinating is that CCXP only started in 2014; less than 10 years ago. And much like AnimeNYC in New York, CCXP saw a meteoric rise in popularity and attendance.
Anyways, CCXP is the only comic convention in South America that made this list. Let’s move on…
Anime conventions in Asia
You might think that with many Asian cities being heavily populated, there would be many large comic conventions. However, based on my research, I didn’t find too many that would qualify. While Asia does have a bunch of comic conventions that are relatively big in attendance size, they aren’t as big as the ones on this list.
In fact, there is one convention that is famously known for being the largest fan convention in the world. And that one is…
2. Comiket
| Name | Comiket |
| Location | Tokyo, Japan |
| Venue location | Tokyo Big Sight |
| Number of attendees | 750,000 attendees in 2019 |
| Next event date | Saturday August 12 – Sunday August 13, 2023 |
Comiket (or formally known as Comic Market) is the granddaddy of them all. Taking place in Tokyo Japan, Comiket has an insane amount of attendees every year. In 2019, the event saw 750,000 attendees! Yes, let me repeat that; a 3/4 of a million people at one event! That would make Comiket by far the largest Anime convention in the entire world. Although Comiket may not be what you envision as a typical convention (the main focus is manga), I still consider the event as an Anime con.
What’s interesting about Comiket are the rules you must follow, at least compared to your typical Anime convention in North America. For instance, you can only cosplay at Comiket when you’re at the event, and you must change out of cosplay when you leave the convention. When you have that many attendees, it does make sense to have specific rules to ensure a smooth annual event like Comiket!
Anime conventions in Europe
Having been to a couple of fan conventions in Europe myself, I can tell you there are quite a few notable comic conventions in the continent. While Europe doesn’t have the typical Anime conventions like we do in North America, they certainly have lots of comic cons! In fact, there are two that take place in an entire city!
Let’s take a look…
3. Lucca Comics & Games
| Name | Lucca Comic & Games |
| Location | Lucca, Italy |
| Venue location | (Across the entire city) |
| Number of attendees | Over 300,000 in 2022 |
| Next event date | Wednesday November 1 – Sunday November 5, 2023 |
Wow, just wow. If you had told me that a mid-sized city in Italy hosts the 2nd largest comic convention in the world, I certainly wouldn’t have believed you! But after doing some research, this event is just simply amazing. Think of a big comic con but instead of being confined to a convention center, Lucca Comic & Games is held across an entire city with over 300,000 tickets sold in 2022.
Lucca Comic & Games started all the way back in 1966; nearly 60 years ago! This massive event seems to be more of a festival than your typical indoor comic convention. But because the event is still related to comics, we definitely have to include on this list. It’s not just your usual comic convention; it’s an entire festival.
4. Angouleme International Comics Festival
| Name | Angouleme International Comics Festival |
| Location | Angouleme, France |
| Venue location | (Across the entire city) |
| Number of attendees | Approximately 200,000 |
| Next event date | Thursday January 25 – Sunday January 28, 2024 |
Angouleme International Comics Festival is an interesting one. It’s another comic convention I’ve never heard of myself up until now, yet the event is one of the largest in the world!
Angouleme International Comics Festival is very unique. To start, the convention does not take place in a major city like Paris or Lyon. And the event takes place across the entire city of Angouleme, France, which is really cool and similar to Lucca Comic & Games! So it’s kind of hard to accurately put an attendance number for this annual event. But apparently it’s close to 200,000. With that insane amount of people, Angouleme International Comics Festival is definitely on this list of the biggest comic conventions in the world!
5. MCM London Comic Con
| Name | MCM London Comic Con |
| Location | London, England |
| Venue location | ExCel London |
| Number of attendees | Over 100,000 |
| Next event date | Friday October 27 – Sunday October 29, 2023 |
Here is a big comic con that I’ve actually been to (click here to read my review of MCM London Comic Con). And I can tell you from my own firsthand experience, MCM London Comic Con is huge! The event actually happens twice a year; there’s one in May and another one in October. MCM London Comic Con is by far the largest fan event in the UK. As you would expect from a comic con, the dealer’s room is massive, their artist alley is just as big and they have tons of big guests and celebrities.
What I appreciate is despite the 100,000+ attendees that show up to MCM London Comic Con every year, the organizers do a wonderful job managing the crowd. Probably the best I’ve seen so far.
Comic conventions in North America
So while on one hand, I am surprised that our comic conventions in North America weren’t THE biggest events in the world. I knew that Comiket would top this list but didn’t expect the conventions in Europe and South America to be larger than the ones in Canada and the U.S. But on the other hand, North America still has the most popular and well-known comic cons out there. There is a reason why half of this list is all North American comic cons.
Alright, let’s get to it…
6. Fan Expo Canada
| Name | Fan Expo Canada |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Venue location | Metro Toronto Convention Centre |
| Number of attendees | Nearly 100,000+ attendees |
| Next event date | Thursday August 24 – Sunday August 27, 2023 |
As someone from Toronto, I’m not surprised that Fan Expo Canada made this list of biggest comic conventions in the world. What can I say; this event is so big and gets insanely crowded!
I’ve attended Fan Expo for many years and even back then, it was really popular and busy. Now this event is basically the largest fan event in all of Canada!
What’s interesting to note that while Fan Expo Canada is the biggest and probably the most well-known, this one in Toronto is not the only Fan Expo. There are several others across North America, including Chicago, Denver and Vancouver. In fact, a bunch of Fan Expo events made the list of my biggest comic cons in the U.S. (click here to view).
7. L.A. Comic Con
| Name | L.A. Comic Con |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Venue location | Los Angeles Convention Center |
| Number of attendees | 126,600 in 2022 |
| Next event date | Friday December 1 – Sunday December 3, 2023 |
California is known for a lot of things, and one of them is having some of the biggest and most popular comic conventions. From Anime Expo (the largest Anime convention in all of North America), E3, to WonderCon (although large, not as large as the ones on this list). L.A. Comic Con is no exception; with over 126,000 attendees in 2022, the event is one of the largest in North America.
Formerly known as Comikaze, L.A. Comic Con is notable for their connection with the late legend Stan Lee in previous years, where they collaborated together and even had their 2016 event named Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic Con. So not only is L.A. Comic Con one of the biggest comic cons in the country, the annual event is truly something special!
8. San Diego Comic-Con
| Name | San Diego Comic-Con |
| Location | San Diego, California |
| Venue location | San Diego Convention Center |
| Number of attendees | Over 135,000+ in 2022 |
| Next event date | Thursday July 20 – Sunday July 23, 2023 |
Contrary to popular belief, San Diego Comic-Con is NOT the biggest comic con in the world or in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean the convention is small by any means; not at all. In fact, San Diego Comic-Con is one of the largest comic cons in America by attendance.
And arguably I’d say the event is the most popular comic con in the world. Despite hosting over 100,000 attendees every year (over 135,000+ attendees in 2022), tickets for the convention sell out quickly. I know quite a few of my cosplay friends who all want to attend the convention (if they can afford and be able to snatch a ticket). So it’s a no-brainer that San Diego Comic-Con made this list!
9. MEGACON Orlando
| Name | MEGACON Orlando |
| Location | Orlando, Florida |
| Venue location | Orange County Convention Center |
| Number of attendees | 140,000 in 2022 |
| Next event date | Thursday February 1 – Sunday February 4, 2024 |
Could you have guessed that MEGACON Orlando would be making this list of biggest comic cons? I certainly wouldn’t have! But in fact, the attendance numbers don’t lie; with over 140,000 attendees, MEGACON Orlando is a massive event! This comic con definitely lives up the name of MEGACON.
What surprises me is that in my opinion, Florida is not known for having large fan conventions, yet MEGACON is one of the largest in all of North America when it comes to attendance numbers. The event is 4 days long and like many comic cons on this list, you can expect to see a lot of famous celebrities and activities taking place.
10. New York Comic Con
| Name | New York Comic Con |
| Location | New York City, New York (Manhattan in particular) |
| Venue location | Javits Center |
| Number of attendees | Over 210,000 |
| Next event date | Thursday October 12 – Sunday October 15, 2023 |
Last but definitely not least, we have New York Comic Con; the biggest comic con in the U.S. With over 200,000 attendees every year, the annual event in NYC surpasses anything and everything even close to it.
New York Comic Con is 4-days long and organized by ReedPop, the same team that hosts other fan events across the globe. I myself haven’t been to NYCC but I’m sure the event is amazing, especially since taking place in NYC, America’s largest city!
Summary
To summarize, here are the 10 biggest comic conventions in the world:
- CCXP
- Comiket
- Lucca Comic & Games
- Angouleme International Comics Festival
- MCM London Comic Con
- Fan Expo Canada
- L.A. Comic Con
- San Diego Comic-Con
- Megacon Orlando
- New York Comic Con
And there you have it; the 10 biggest comic conventions. No, not in a country. No, not in just one continent. The 10 biggest comic conventions in the WORLD!
I honestly enjoyed creating this list. I myself have learned that there are so many big comic cons around the world. And not only that; a lot of them are unique in their own way. I hope you found this post useful. Maybe you have attended or will be attending one of them! Let me know in the comments what you think. 🙂
My name is Roger Senpai. I’m a cosplayer that’s been in the community for well over a decade now. I’ve traveled all over the world to Anime and Comic conventions and hosted my own cosplay events. Now I’m writing articles for new and experienced cosplayers like you to help inspire, save you money and improve your cosplays!
