Manga Comic Con in the Year of the Fire Horse
- Written by Portal Editor
Manga - The lineup for the scene's most important event of the spring is set. Numerous well-known manga artists, including stars from Japan and other parts of the world,
as well as voice actors and publishers, have registered to make the Manga Comic Con (MCC) in Leipzig a dazzling celebration for manga, comic, and anime fans once again from March 19th to 22nd. Among the crowd-pleasers are the Leipzig Cosplay Competition and the Cosplay Performance Championship Germany, as well as the new Tancho Award, which will be presented for the first time in 2026.
VIP guests from around the world will travel to the Leipzig Book Fair 2026
According to the Japanese calendar, the year 2026 is marked by powerful transformations, deep self-confrontation, and courageous new beginnings. Exciting new releases are guaranteed at the MCC. Numerous manga artists have registered to present their newly printed works to fans, show them how to get creative themselves in workshops, and celebrate the spirit of a scene that couldn't be more unique.
Prominent manga artists, comic book artists, and voice actors
From Japan, the following manga artists are expected as guests of honor: the duo Fumi Tsuyuhisa (Panini), Inio Asano (Tokyopop), Tohru Kuramori (Egmont), Shu Sakuratani (Altraverse), and Nicke (Carlsen Manga). From other parts of the world, Ricedumpling (Taipei Representative), Wu Shi-Shan (Taipei Representative), Miguel Diaz Vizoso (Splitter), Zyad Hamani/ZD (Splitter), and Renaud Roche & Laurent Hopman (Splitter) will be attending. Also confirmed are the following MANGA ISSHO artists: Andrea Pérez Dália, Konata, Yoann Vornière, Marco Albiero, Jeronimo Cejudo, and Francesca Siviero.
From Japan, the following manga artists will be present: Fumi Tsuyuhisa (Panini), Inio Asano (Tokyopop), Tohru Kuramori (Egmont), Shu Sakuratani (Altraverse), and Nicke (Carlsen Manga). German artists Daniela Schreiter, Frank Schmolke, Anne Herzel, Steffen Volkmer, Jenny Jinya, Yu.Hi, Ihabo, and Sozan Coskun will also be present. In the Synchro Area, opening in 2025 in Hall 3, voice actors such as Daniel Schlauch, Santiago Ziesmer, Konrad Bösherz, Guiliana Jakobeit, and Tom Ferenc are looking forward to meeting visitors. For a fee, you can record individual audio clips with the actors and get photos and autographs.
Manga - The Year's Awards and the New Tancho Award
Among the awards ceremonies at MCC, the week begins on March 20th with the new Tancho Award, which aims to bring more attention to the German-language manga scene. The ceremony will take place on the main stage in Hall 5. On March 21st, this space will be dedicated to the Leipzig Cosplay Competition, where the best cosplays will be showcased. The following day, the Cosplay Performance Championship Germany will be held there, where the top three performance cosplayers in Germany will be crowned. The finale, in cooperation with Con-Finder.de, is taking place at the MCC for the second time.
From historical Japanese music to anime screenings and workshops, all the way to the MCC party:
On March 20th at 10:30 a.m., a truly extraordinary concert will take place on the main stage: Tarō Ishida, the composer of the successful series "Shogun," invites you to a fascinating introduction to over 1300-year-old Japanese court music, accompanied live by members of the Cologne Gagaku Ensemble. The event is organized by the Embassy of Japan in Germany, the Japan Foundation (formerly the Japan Cultural Institute Cologne), and the Japanese-German Center Berlin.
As usual, the Anime Cinema will be located in the Messehaus (Level -1), Room M3, showing anime films and series from publishers such as Anime House, Animoon Publishing, and Hardball Films over four days from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On the big screen, you'll be seeing films like "Edens Zero 2" (Season 1, Episode 1 from Animoon Publishing), "Hellsing TV" (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2 from Hardball Films), and "The Devil is a Part Timer" (Season 2, Episode 1 from Anime House).
You can not only watch but also participate in the workshops in Workshop Room M1. Highlights include the course "The Anatomy of Kanji" on March 19th, which provides a first glimpse into Japanese writing. In the workshop "Japanese Thread Binding to Go," you'll learn how to make your own DIN A6 notebook from thread and paper in under 30 minutes.
The big MCC party will take place on Friday, March 20th, starting at 8 p.m. at the Moritzbastei, featuring karaoke, Korean street food, DJs, a photo booth with photographers, and the live band "Kontrollverlust" (Loss of Control). Cosplay is welcome.
Manga - Important information for cosplayers and role-playing fans
While there were previously two cosplay checks in Halls 1 and 5, the central cosplay check now takes place in Hall 1 at the cloakroom, booth M303. Anyone wanting to have their props or costume thoroughly inspected beforehand is in the right place here. Also new is that visual inspections will be carried out daily throughout the fairgrounds, and critical cosplays or items will be inspected by security personnel and may be required to undergo a cosplay check.
This year, free role-playing sessions will be held in the new PnP Dungeon (Room M2), organized in part by the Gugelgilde e. V., the association for pen & paper and LARP in Saxony. Anyone interested in a trial session is welcome to join.
The Leipzig Book Fair takes place from March 19 to 22, 2026. Tickets are available in the online ticket shop.
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