Founded in 1994, Otakon is an annual convention held in the summer months to celebrate Asian pop culture (anime, manga, music, movies, video games, etc) and its fandom. The event runs from Friday to Sunday and is packed with a schedule that has tons to do.
Otakon is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in our nation's capital of Washington, DC.
When Otakon started, I don’t know if the founders could have envisioned that it would reach the heights that it has, nor that it would endure for 30 great years! Thank you for being a part of our family and for accompanying us along this amazing journey!
You may have heard this before, but Otakon is run 100% by volunteer staff who give their time freely to make it all happen. Without them, without you, without all of us, Otakon would not be where it is today, and where it will grow in the years to come.
We’ve got so much excitement in store for this year and we can’t wait to share it with you all!
Here's to the first 30 years of memories, friendships, and fun!
-Brooke Zerrlaut, Otakorp President 2024
30 years is a landmark for anything. 30 years in the ever-evolving, convention industry, with an event that has spanned 5 cities, 3 states, and now the District of Columbia, is unheard of … until now.
As usual, we’ve been hard at work to bring you the cornucopia of awesome that is Otakon. We’ve got concerts, dances, panels, workshops, guests, cards, tabletop and video games, artists and dealers, cosplay, photoshoots, maids, and tea parties.
This year, we’ve got a car show and even laser tag, and our special 30th-anniversary exhibition next to the Grand Lobby. Time travel to 1994, when a bunch of college kids said “We can do better.” And this year marks the return of our Thursday Matsuri event!
-Andy Zerrlaut, Con Chair 2024
Follow Otakon on Facebook, Twitter, and more for all sorts of updates and news about the upcoming year.
Book a room in the official Otakon room block today and stay close to the heart of the action all weekend long.
The Otakon 2025 Hotel Block is now Open!