Animate! is an all-new convention presented by GalaxyCon, previously held in Raleigh, Miami, Columbus, and Orlando earlier in 2025, with its final stop of the year at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA from October 3-5. Focusing on all things animation, it was a weekend chock-full of celebrity meet & greets, panels, events, cosplay, and shopping from hundreds of exhibitors & artists!
At Animate! Philadelphia, fans could meet over 60 special guests including notable voice actors such as John DiMaggio (Futurama), Tara Strong (Teen Titans), Sarah Natochenny (Pokemon), and the cast of Hazbin Hotel, as well as featured creators Cyanide & Happiness, Joe Wos, and even in-booth appearances by childhood heroes like Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers star Steve Cardenas (below), who was autographing and taking selfies:
For extra peace of mind, all signed collectibles could be authenticated and certified at Animate! with CGC x JSA’s COA and encapsulation options. It’s the perfect opportunity to obtain signatures on your favorite manga, Blu-ray, anime poster, statue, or prop replica! And thanks to the expansive Show Floor, you could shop aisles upon aisles of merchandise and art just in case you couldn’t bring something from home. From niche collectibles to mass-market items, Animate! Philadelphia had it all:
We’re talking about posters, Funko Pops, game mats, anime lenticulars, 3D prints, woodwork, action figures, TCGs, enamel pins, and all kinds of blind boxes. Not to mention over 200 booths of fan art in Artist Alley featuring art prints, original commissions, crochet dolls, pins & buttons, keychains, stickers, and other custom creations based on popular anime, movies, and television series.
Each day of the convention was also packed with exciting programming, from Q&A’s to tutorials, and everything in between! Hear from your favorite celebrities, join in on some karaoke, and even learn a thing or two about cosplay… there’s certainly plenty of it at Animate! Philadelphia so feel free to hang out in the Cosplay Zone, join one of the themed meet-ups, or see if you can spot your favorite character walking around! Plus there were seven itasha cars, tattoo artists, tabletop & video gaming, wrestling… and that’s only the beginning!
So if you’re a fan of Toei Animation titles like One Piece, Cartoon Network classics like The Powerpuff Girls, Nickelodeon shows like Fairly OddParents, or Netflix & Sony’s KPop Demon Hunters, Animate! Philadelphia is the convention for you! It’s a celebration of all forms of animation and offers so much to see and do all weekend long. Be sure to check it out when Animate! returns to Oaks, PA on May 1-3, 2026 and, in the meantime, here are some more photos as well as our recap video:
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