The anime fans of south Florida had a chance to come together once again for Otakufest 2022. OtakuFest is a two-day convention that celebrates Anime, Manga, Cosplay, and Video Games. The Miami Airport Convention Center has more than 100,000 square feet of space for panels, autograph signings, merch, and art. The exterior patio outside the convention is the perfect place for the stage that hosts guest DJs and bands.
Basic Info
| Website | https://www.otakufest.com/ |
|---|---|
| When it Established | 2019 |
| Length of Event | 2 Days:
|
| Place/Location | The Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126 |
| COST | Single Day $28 Weekend $50 |
| Hotels | Two of the suggested hotels for the convention are the host, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel/Miami Airport Convention Center, and the nearby SpringHill Suites Miami Airport South. The event’s proximity to the Miami International Airport means there are dozens of other hotel options. |
| Company/Event Message for Fans/Attendees | To build a community of Hyper-Fans known as Otaku by providing recreation and education for the South Florida community in the fields of Asian Culture, Anime, Animation, Cosplay, Gaming, Comics, Music, and more. |
What to Expect
The convention center isn’t huge compared to the massive 30k+ events like Otakon or AnimeNYC. The space is divided into two floors. The dealers’ room and artist alley are on the first floor, panels take place on the second. You will also be required to wear CDC-approved mask/face coverings upon entering the building and throughout the duration of their stay at OtakuFest. The vendors are also encouraged to run cashless booths so bring the plastic for your purchases.
What to Bring in Order to Enjoy the Event
We always recommend comfortable shoes, even if you are cosplaying. We know nothing can ruin your fun like sore feet. The convention has good access to food upstairs and downstairs (hotdogs, chicken fingers, french fries). We even found some vendors in the dealers’ room selling Taiyaki and onigiri. If you want anything else you’ll either have to visit the hotel restaurant or get a rideshare to one of the nearby fast food places. Oh! you might want to bring water since in this time of COVID-19 the water fountains are turned off.
What to Do While There/What Is Available
Otakufest includes more than 100 hours of programming with panels, viewing rooms, live performances, karaoke, tabletop gaming, and of course a cosplay contest and ball. Oh, and did we mention a maid cafe packed with kawaii maids? The convention even has an after-dark side with a Late Night Costume Contest with a more mature nature. No one under the age of 18 may enter this contest.
Cosplay
Final Thoughts
We had a wonderful time at Otakufest and though it took a little bit of time to understand the location of events, once we did it was really easy to get around. The convention was planning on around 5,000 attendees but had a final tally of 12,000 making it one of the fastest-growing conventions in America. We would definitely recommend putting Otakufest in Miami on your schedule for next year.
Author: Zeke Changuris