Animenia Abu Dhabi

Animenia returns to Manarat Al Saadiyat with five days of cosplay, music, food, and J-pop culture – “step inside a world inspired by the hidden corners of Neo-Tokyo, where glowing signs, colourful characters, and offbeat discoveries bring anime culture to life … An unmissable anime celebration unlike anything fans have experienced before …” There’s a cosplay competition with big prizes, an ‘artists alley’ where people will try to sell you stuff like rare collectibles, “delicious bites inspired by authentic Japanese street food” (so not actual authentic Japanese street food then and the chance to find “creators whose work has already taken over your feed”. The last Animenia was a load of fun, if you like this kind of thing.

It’s open 4pm to midnight (3pm-midnight on Saturday and Sunday) with single day entry costing AED 95 (AED 145 on 13 and 14 Feb). A five-day Festival Pass is AED 495.