Otakon has taken over the nation’s capital for another record-breaking weekend. The Otakon sprawl extends out to the nearby Marriott and the lawn of the historic Carnegie Library. More so than ever, it’s impossible to avoid sharing the DC Metro with anime characters or seeing elf ears and prop swords at a crosswalk anywhere near the convention center.
The Origin Story
The con began in 1994 in State College, PA, to a crowd of 350 people. After moving around between Maryland and Virginia, it settled in 1999 into an 18-year run at the Baltimore Convention Center. In 2011, attendance was about 30,000, and Visit Baltimore awarded it “Customer of the Year.”
In 2017, it moved to the Walter E Washington Convention Center, within walking distance of the White House, where it’s been held ever since. At the time, Destination DC expected about 23,000 in attendance, and an estimated economic impact of just under $24 million.
The move to DC has allowed it to spread out to events like the free street festival it calls the Matsuri, held on the Carnegie Library grounds. It’s open to the public and organized in partnership with the Embassy of Japan. The adjacent Marriott has become a go-to spot for cosplayers and photographers, and here the expansion has not gone as smoothly. Many were left disappointed by the increasing restrictiveness of the space, and questioning whether to return. This time-lapse post shows the space being cleared out, and the comments reflect the largely frustrated reaction.
A Record-Breaking Year
The Otakon of today has grown significantly while staying committed to its community-driven focus. It’s kept a strong tradition of appearances and performances from well-known Japanese musical artists, while placing a growing emphasis on community dance shows where fellow attendees are the performers.
This year’s theme was swords and sorcery: at registration, each attendee could request their class. The classes included Melee, Healer, Ranged, and Wizard, and were printed on the badges themselves. Attendees were encouraged to form a party of four with complementary classes.
On its 30th anniversary in 2024, it set a new attendance record of 46,000, and this year broke that record with 47,000 attendees. Otakon will return 6-8 August 2027. The theme will be Summerween.
