Otamatsuri 2026.

Otamatsuri 2026 runs from Saturday 22 August 2026 at 10:00am through to Sunday 23 August at 8:00am. The main convention day runs until about 7pm, with an 18+ after-party and an overnight LAN party continuing into Sunday morning.

At The Carnivore Grounds in Langata, Nairobi. This is the first year the convention is fully outdoor.

Tickets are sold in phases and the price rises the closer you get to the day, so earlier is cheaper. Movie Jabber sets and sells them — check the official ticket page for the current price rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere.

Japanese musical performances, cosplay and webtoon competitions, anime merchandise vendors, Japanese cuisine, gaming stations, an overnight LAN party, fan performances, kids' activities and a parents' lounge, plus an 18+ after-party in the evening.

Otamatsuri is organised by Movie Jabber. Nataka Inc directed and produced the festival's cinematic promo film — we are the studio behind the visuals, not the event organiser.

The daytime convention includes kids' activities such as jumping castles and face painting, along with a parents' lounge. The after-party from the evening onwards is 18+ only.

This is the first fully outdoor Otamatsuri, and August is Nairobi's coldest, greyest month — overcast days and genuinely cold nights. Dress for sun and wind during the day and bring a real layer for after dark, especially if you are staying for the after-party or the overnight LAN. If you are cosplaying, factor in that you will be outside on grass all day: consider how your shoes handle uneven ground, how your wig and makeup handle wind, and whether your build can take a light drizzle.

The Carnivore is on Langata Road in Langata, southwest of the Nairobi CBD and close to Wilson Airport. It is a long-established venue on a major road, so ride-hailing apps recognise it by name and Langata Road public transport runs past it. Search for "Carnivore Nairobi" to drop an accurate pin rather than navigating to Langata generally.

The Carnivore Grounds is a long-running large-events venue with substantial on-site parking, which is part of why the convention moved there for its first fully outdoor year. Event-day parking arrangements and any charges are set by the organisers and the venue, so confirm the specifics with Movie Jabber before the day.

Prop and prop-weapon rules are set by the organisers and venue security, not by us, and they are worth checking before you build rather than at the gate. If your cosplay involves anything blade-shaped, oversized, or that could read as a weapon from a distance, ask Movie Jabber directly what is allowed and how it needs to be peace-bonded or transported.

Gaming stations run through the night after the main convention day ends, continuing until around 8:00am on Sunday 23 August. It runs alongside the 18+ after-party, so it is the option if you want to stay the night without being in the party itself.

Doors are from 10:00am on Saturday 22 August, with the main convention day running until about 7:00pm. Cosplay competitions and stage performances are the things people travel for, and their running order comes from the organisers closer to the day — check Movie Jabber's channels for the schedule if you are timing your arrival around a specific competition.

Yes, and it is a big part of the day. The one rule that matters: ask a cosplayer before you photograph them, and ask again before you post. People have spent months and real money on those builds and almost everyone says yes when asked. If you shoot someone, credit them. Kenyan cosplayers get very little of it.

This is the first fully outdoor edition. Previous years were held indoors; moving to The Carnivore Grounds means more space, more room for vendors and activities across the grounds, and a day that runs on outdoor rather than hall logistics — which changes what you wear, what you carry and how long you can comfortably stay.

It is the largest gathering of Kenya's cosplay, gaming and Japanese-culture scene in the year, and most of what makes it good — the craft on the costumes, the live performances, the food, the people-watching — does not require you to recognise the characters. If you are going with someone who is deep into it, you will not be bored.