Salón del Manga
By Casey Wise
The Saló del Manga was first held in Estació de França in 1995 and was attended by only 1,000 people, with discussion even turning to whether to hold an event the following year. But the show went on, and 24 years later this wonderful celebration of manga, cosplay, literature and Japanese cuisine is soon set to draw in nearly 150,000 people.
Hundreds of companies from around the globe flock to Fira de Barcelona, eager to obtain a spot at one of 200 manga and art stalls. This year includes talks from Marta Salmons, the distributors at Tamashii Nations, and the opportunity for some 60 artist signings. Cosplay is a huge page, with five competitions set to take place over the four-day festival, with top prizes from the European Cosplay Gathering and World Cosplay Summit.
Let’s also not forget the Japanese Experience and Manga for Kids exhibitions, glittering with enough charm and authenticity to last us till next year.
UPDATE: tickets for Saturday and Sunday are sold out.