Atlanta’s anime lovers are getting ready to power up because Atlanime Fest is back, and this time, the celebration is taking over the city for four days.
Atlanime Fest will return Oct. 15-18 for its second year, expanding from a single-day festival into a multi-venue weekend bringing together hip-hop, anime, gaming, fashion, and Black creativity. The festivities will take place across Underground Atlanta and Monday Night Garage, with comedian Funny Marco, Pudgieee, and Rae Sremmurd’s Slim Jxmmi included in the lineup.
Saturday’s main festival at Underground Atlanta will be hosted by Funny Marco alongside co-host Pudgieee, while Slim Jxmmi, Cochise, DRAM, Duke Deuce, Troop Brand, Domani and Super Duper Kyle are among the artists slated to perform.
A press release reports that the festival was created as a celebration of the intersection between Black culture and anime, particularly for a generation that grew up with shows like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto playing alongside the soundtrack of Atlanta hip-hop.
Cosplay, streetwear, gaming, music, and animation will all share space throughout the weekend, with Black artists and creators getting an opportunity to spotlight how deeply those worlds have become intertwined.
From Trap Sushi To A Four-Day Festival
Atlanime Fest’s expansion comes after years of community building through Trap Sushi, the Atlanta anime and hip-hop party founded by Tolden “Troop” Williams and Stephanie Williams in 2020.
According to festival organizers, the first Trap Sushi event welcomed just 25 people. Within three years, its crowds had grown to roughly 2,500 anime fans, gamers, and creators.
That momentum eventually led to the inaugural Atlanime Fest in 2025.
Now, Williams says the festival is giving Black anime fans the kind of space he once wished existed.
“Atlanta has always been where culture gets remixed. We grew up on Dragon Ball Z and Naruto the same way we grew up on the music coming out of this city. For a long time, Black fans didn’t have a space that felt like ours. We started Trap Sushi to fix that, and Atlanime Fest is what happens when that community grows up. This isn’t a convention. It’s a festival for the culture, built by the culture.”
That mission is growing alongside the festival itself.
“Year two is about scale and representation,” Atlanime Fest CMO and Managing Partner Elijah Watkins said. “We’re putting Black animators who have worked on some of the biggest titles in anime in front of the next generation. We’re investing in creators through our Content Creator Incubator. And we’re bringing fashion, gaming, music and sports into one weekend.”
Atlanime Fest 2026 Has A Little Bit Of Everything
The four-day experience kicks off Thursday, Oct. 15, with a gaming tournament and mixer from 7-11 p.m. at Monday Night Garage.
On Friday, programming shifts toward the creatives helping shape anime culture.
The day includes a Black Animators Panel featuring professionals with credits connected to Jujutsu Kaisen, MAPPA productions, and NieR:Automata. The animators will discuss their careers, the industry, and pathways available for Black artists interested in animation.
Slim Jxmmi and Troop Brand will also sit down for a live taping of No Spoilers, followed by a Content Creators Panel.
Fashion gets its own moment Friday evening with The Fashion Arc, a streetwear-meets-anime fashion show featuring a head-to-head designer competition and participating brands traveling from Japan and China.
The festival is also investing in emerging creators through its Content Creator Incubator. More than 300 creators applied for the program, according to organizers, with 100 accepted and 10 ultimately selected for mentorship with OmgItsNikeFinesse, MyMySenpai, ItsAndrewz, Will6lake and Ssblayze.
Funny Marco, Slim Jxmmi & More Take Over Underground Atlanta
Saturday, Oct. 17, marks Atlanime Fest’s main event.
From 1-8 p.m., Underground Atlanta will transform into the center of the festival with live performances, esports, vendors, food and interactive experiences.
In addition to Slim Jxmmi, Cochise, DRAM, Duke Deuce, Troop Brand, Domani and Super Duper Kyle, the lineup includes Kiko Blac, Keats, Dear Silas, Pell, OK Coop, Phvnzo, B.U.G Antman, Lucid Luunar, Miiraahe, Von Moon, NoasVoice, Malia Dishon and MTM Standard.
Tokyo Trendz, Proper Frequency, Wavy Lachii, Mami Popo, Whipp Appeal, Smartt and Kreme are among the DJs scheduled throughout the festival.
Anime Sundays, Shaquan Parson, Ssblayze, CutiePieSensei, Nike Finesse, MyMySenpaii, ItsAndrewz, Orange King, Anime Fitness Gang and Will6lake are also expected to make special appearances.
Beyond the main stage, attendees can check out esports, the Naruto Training Arc, an Orange King car show, Anime Alley, a vendor hall, food offerings, activations and even an anime nail salon.
Community Day Closes Out The Weekend
The festivities continue Sunday with a Celebrity Soccer Game from 2-4 p.m. at Underground Atlanta before the weekend wraps with a Closing Day Party from 5-9 p.m. at Monday Night in West Midtown.
Partner events will also take place throughout the weekend, including the Trap Sushi DBZ After Party, Pokémon vs. Digimon, Anime & Skate at Cascade Skating Rink, and Paint n Sip events. Those experiences require separate tickets and are not included with festival passes.
Festival Day Passes for Saturday start at $46 and include access to programming, performances, Anime Alley, the gaming lounge, activations, and food and beverage areas.
Weekend Badges start at $115 and include admission to official programming across all four days, priority access to The Fashion Arc, and a commemorative badge and lanyard.
Atlanime Fest is proving that Black anime culture deserves more.
