2026 Taichung International Anime & Manga Expo Unveiled, “Manga & Food Memories” Blends Local Cuisine with ACG Culture, Original Comic Contests Launched

Free Admission for 2026 Taichung International Anime & Manga Expo! “Manga & Food Memories” Integrates Taichung Local Snacks with Anime, Original Short Comic Competition Open for Submissions

Taichung Municipal Cultural Bureau officially announced the 2026 Taichung International Anime & Manga Expo will run from September 17 to 23 at the Taiwan Boulevard Municipal Building, with completely free entry for local residents and anime fans worldwide. Centered around the creative theme Manga & Food Memories, the event fuses Taichung’s signature local food culture with ACG creation. Supporting pre-event programs including comic workshops and an original short manga contest have been launched, in partnership with the National Comic Museum to nurture local comic creators. The expo serves as a comprehensive urban cultural festival covering exhibitions, creator markets, live music performances and talent incubation.

1 Core Event Basic Information

1. Duration: September 17 – September 23, 2026, 09:00–18:00 daily, open every day during the session
2. Venue: Taiwan Boulevard Municipal Building, No.99 Sec.3 Taiwan Blvd., Xitun District, Taichung
3. Admission: 100% free, no tickets required
4. Official Partner: National Comic Museum, co-promoting Taichung local original manga & illustration industry
5. Additional Note: The 5th Taichung International Anime Festival held in April 2026 at Wuri Exhibition Hall acted as a transitional show. This September expo is the city’s flagship annual large-scale anime event. Organizers confirmed the next edition will relocate to the new Taichung International Exhibition & Convention Center, a 10-billion-TWD municipal landmark, expanding coverage to video games, esports and interactive entertainment to form a full ACGE industrial ecosystem.

2 Theme & Key Visual Design Highlights

The exclusive theme Manga & Food Memories pioneers the crossover of local catering and anime aesthetics, with popular illustrator MAKAI commissioned to design all official key visuals. The artwork features cute anime girl characters themed around iconic Taichung snacks including bubble tea and flaxseed cakes, translating the city’s food culture into recognizable two-dimensional visual symbols. All exhibition booths, photo installations and official merchandise adopt this unified food-anime art style to deliver an immersive visiting experience.

3 Four Core Exhibition Zones

(1) Themed Anime & Manga Galleries

• Local Original Manga Special Exhibition: Displays all shortlisted and winning works from the Taichung Original Short Manga Contest, alongside hand-drawn manuscripts and classic collections curated by the National Comic Museum.
• Global IP Merchandise Hall: Licensed goods, scale figures and collectibles from international animation, manga and game IPs.
• Food-Anime Crossover Special Zone: Illustrations, short manga and derivative design pieces inspired by Taichung street food culture.

(2) Doujin & Creator Market

Independent illustrators, handmade creators and doujin circles set up booths selling original art books, badges, standees and food-themed anime merchandise. Selected vendors accept cultural currency discounts, subject to on-site store notices, building an offline trading and communication hub for independent creators.

(3) All-Day Stage Performances

• Anime Music Live: Famous Japanese anime singer Takayoshi Tanimoto headlines the concert series, alongside idol groups from Taiwan and Hong Kong performing back-to-back shows.
• Random Anime Dance Party: Open-stage spontaneous otaku dance sessions available daily for all visitors to join.
• Creator Sharing Seminars: Industry veterans and official Clip Studio Paint instructors host lectures on story writing, storyboard design and IP commercialization.

(4) All-Ages Interactive Experience Area

Free public activities including sketch stations, digital drawing device trials, anime photo walls and food-themed selfie installations, catering to family visitors and young anime fans of all ages.

4 Pre-Event Creator Incubation Programs

Two free training and competition initiatives kick off ahead of the expo to grow Taichung’s local comic talent pool:

(1) Comic Creation Workshops

• Schedule: Two batches on July 4–5 & July 11–12 at MinSheng Campus, National Taichung University of Science and Technology
• Curriculum: One-on-one tutoring on plot development and storyboarding; participants finish a complete 4-page short manga eligible for the contest
• Recruitment: 30 spots per batch, free online registration closes June 8

(2) 2026 Taichung Original Short Manga Contest

• Submission Rule: Complete 4-page standalone short manga, entries featuring Taichung local culture & food are highly encouraged
• Deadline: July 31
• Prizes: Grand Prize NT$100,000; Special Taichung Local Theme Award NT$50,000. All winning works will be exhibited at the September expo with an exclusive awards ceremony held onsite.

5 Past Event Recap & Future Upgrade Blueprint

The 5th Taichung International Anime Festival concluded in April 2026 at Wuri Exhibition Hall, showcasing animation, video games, scale models and street fashion covering the full ACG industrial chain. It offered cultural currency payment, limited-edition lucky bags and ticket raffles, earning wide acclaim from central Taiwan anime audiences.

Organizers revealed major upgrades for next year’s event: relocation to the government-funded Taichung International Exhibition & Convention Center with a 10-billion-TWD investment. The expanded venue will add dedicated zones for video games, esports tournaments and digital interactive entertainment, delivering larger exhibition space and more industry matchmaking opportunities to build central Taiwan’s largest comprehensive ACG industry expo.

6 Visitor Tips

1. No ATMs available on-site; visitors are advised to carry cash or mobile payment tools before arrival.
2. Cultural currency discounts only apply to selected market booths, please check store notices for detailed terms.
3. Daily schedules for seminars and stage performances are updated in official social media communities in real time.
4. Visitors with suggestions for event optimization may send emails to mei7581@ccpa.org.tw.