NYCC 2026, one of the largest pop culture events on the US East Coast, was held in New York from 8 to 11 October, with the scale of Japanese corporate participation expanding. Attendance again exceeded 250,000, in line with the previous year, while new approaches such as experiential booths were on display.
NYCC 2026, one of the largest pop culture events on the US East Coast, was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, featuring a diverse range of exhibitors covering broad genres including American comics, films, anime and games. According to the organisers, attendance exceeded 250,000, drawing a crowd at the same level as the previous year.
Japanese companies have been increasing their presence each year, with 3–4 new companies beginning to exhibit annually, while Japanese companies that exhibit repeatedly are expanding the size of their booths. Exhibitors are concentrated in areas including trading card games, anime IP and mobile games. In addition to merchandise sales, experiential booths encouraging visitors to register for online memberships attracted strong interest.
Large booths for Dragon Ball, NARUTO, ONE PIECE and Tokyo Revengers stood out as opportunities to reach visitors, while exhibitors from outside the content sector, including beverage and home appliance manufacturers, were also present. NYCC is regarded as a strong promotional opportunity for increasing awareness and acquiring new fans across a broad range of fan segments.
The next event is scheduled for 7 to 10 October 2027, and is expected to continue attracting the attention of industry participants. Some observers say the event's audience is older and has greater purchasing power than AX's, making it an opportunity to support Japanese companies' expansion into the East Coast market.