Comic Con Astana 2026 Draws Game of Thrones and One Piece Stars

Comic Con Astana returned to Kazakhstan’s capital from August 6 to 9, with stars from Game of Thrones and Netflix’s One Piece among the headline guests. The event followed a record year in 2025, when the festival attracted more than 75,000 visitors, including over 10,000 from abroad. Held at Barys Arena and the Alau Ice Palace, the fifth edition of the festival drew fans of film, television, games, comics, and anime for autograph sessions, actor meetings, cosplay competitions, and gaming. [video width="360" height="640" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7641361931360792851.mp4"][/video] Among the biggest names at this year’s festival was Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who played Jaime Lannister throughout all eight seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The series has a history at Comic Con Astana. Pilou Asbæk, who played Euron Greyjoy, was the main international guest at the inaugural event in 2019, when demand for information briefly crashed the festival website. Other international guests in 2026 included Iñaki Godoy and Taz Skylar from Netflix’s One Piece. South Korean K-pop group Kandis also appeared after gaining recognition among Kazakh audiences through Silk Way Star. The group attracted further attention by performing Orda’s Kesh Meni in Korean and took the Comic Con stage on August 9. Cosplay was another major part of the program, with KZT 20 million, around $40,000, offered in prize money for the international competition. Guests included German duo Kamui Cosplay, known for their elaborate costumes and props. Comic-Con began in San Diego in 1970 as a gathering of around 300 comic book and science-fiction fans. It has since developed into a major international pop-culture convention, inspiring events around the world, including Astana’s edition. Comic Con arrived in Kazakhstan in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted its early development. After a four-year hiatus, the festival returned in 2023. Attendance passed 50,000 the following year, when Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was the main international guest. The festival’s growth has also brought an economic return for the capital. Astana authorities estimated its impact in 2025 at around KZT 3.5 billion, approximately $6.5 million, including spending by visitors outside the event itself. Comic Con is one of a growing number of international events being held in Astana. In the first half of 2025, the city hosted more than 25 such events involving over 120,000 participants from 40 countries. During the same period, Astana received 735,700 tourists, including 177,100 from abroad, according to the city’s Department of Investment and Entrepreneurship Development. For international visitors, Comic Con also presents a side of Kazakhstan far removed from the country’s more familiar association with Silk Road history. Its focus is contemporary pop culture and the global fan communities surrounding it. Final attendance figures for Comic Con Astana 2026 had not been released at the time of publication.

Comic Con Astana 2025: Kazakhstan’s Premier Geek Culture Festival Set to Break Records

Geek culture has become a vibrant facet of Astana’s tourist appeal, and on July 9, the city kicked off the fourth edition of Comic Con Astana, Kazakhstan’s flagship festival for anime, comics, and cosplay. Over the years, festival-goers have become a familiar sight in the capital's summer streets, embodying characters from across the worlds of comics, gaming, and fantasy. While other Central Asian capitals, including Tashkent, have made similar attempts, it is Astana that has succeeded in establishing a sustainable and growing comic convention. The inaugural Comic Con Astana was held in 2019, but subsequent years were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the political turbulence of 2022. In 2023, however, the festival returned with renewed energy, drawing not only domestic fans but also international guests eager to meet Hollywood actors Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn, known for their roles as Yondu and Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy. The guest list also included top Eurasian video bloggers and prominent cosplayers, names that may be unfamiliar to the broader public, but are iconic within the global geek community. That year, organizers reported at least 60,000 attendees. [caption id="attachment_33875" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: TCA[/caption] In 2024, the festival built on that momentum. A major highlight was the appearance of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, famed for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the eponymous TV series, whose popularity kept him signing autographs late into the night, well past the scheduled program. He was joined by Canadian actor Percy Hynes White, who had recently risen to prominence through his role in Netflix’s Wednesday. Now, in 2025, Comic Con Astana is aiming to surpass its own benchmarks. [caption id="attachment_33876" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: TCA[/caption] "This year, we decided to scale up and break our own record: two venues, Astana Arena and Barys Arena, and an extended five-day program," said Natalina Abrashkin, general producer of Comic Con Astana. "Every year, Comic Con grows in terms of guests, international stars, and economic impact. In 2025, we expect more than 75,000 attendees, including at least 10,000 foreign tourists." Organizers estimate that each foreign visitor spends around 118,000 KZT ($228) per day. With an average stay of three days, the festival is projected to generate over 3.5 billion KZT (nearly $7 million) in economic activity through accommodation, food, transportation, entertainment, and shopping. This year’s expanded program reflects that ambition. Even the two arenas may struggle to accommodate the crowds expected to attend appearances by three Hollywood stars: Andy Serkis, renowned for his motion-capture roles as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes, will headline. He will be joined by Esai Morales (Ozark, Titans, Mission: Impossible, La Bamba) and Scott Adkins (John Wick 4, Doctor Strange, Ip Man 4). Their public sessions are scheduled for the festival’s final weekend. [caption id="attachment_33877" align="aligncenter" width="1832"] Image: TCA[/caption] A central feature of Comic Con Astana remains the cosplay competition. This year, organizers have raised the prize fund to 15 million KZT ($29,000). Cosplay has been a cornerstone...