Convention Events
We have tons of main events every year, and additional events are added as panelists submit them - our featured Chicago anime convention events are listed below. We have literally 100+ events every year. To give you an idea of the full schedule, there are tons of events also not listed here, including anime screenings, our special date auction, photoshoots, debates, game shows, and beyond.
Concerts
Anime Midwest features epic concerts every year including fantastic guests playing everything from anime theme song covers to unique shows filled with noir, rock, and tremendous energy. Everything about Anime Midwest's concerts are awesome. We use the best lighting and speakers to create an epic, immersive concert experience.
Exhibit Hall
Our exhibit hall features the most amazing anime vendors ever, with tons of anime swag to take home. Dealers will be selling everything you can imagine, from costumes and corsets to pocky and DVDs, you'll be able to find some awesome stuff in our dealers room. Artists will sell all kinds of unique and rare artwork.
Rave Dances
We have several official, amazing DJs in our guest DJ lineup, including Greg Ayres, YTCracker, and some other talented guest DJs. We know how to break it down with awesome EDM dance music (hey, that's redundant!). Jumpstyle. Hardstyle. Techno. Trance. Maybe even dubstep? (If that's still cool by then). No stops and no bad DJs.
Arcade Gaming
We love arcade games from around the world, and our arcade gaming room is happy to bring them to you! In the past we have worked with partners including Tokyo Attack, Kdogs Arcade, and Credits Remaining to bring games like Dance Dance Revolution, JuBeat, Reflec Beat, Pop n Music, Taiko Drumming, and more. Join us and our partners for a game room filled with at least a dozen awesome arcade games.
Maid Cafe
Our maid cafe is a fun experience similar to maid cafes in Japan - but much more suited to Anime Midwest. Come, and be the king of your own maid world (you'll find out what this means!). Please note that tickets sometimes sell out early, as we have limited space available.
Maid/Butler applications are closed. You can apply to be a maid or butler when the con is between 30 and 90 days from now.Tabletop Games
We have tabletop games like Settlers of Catan for people to play all weekend long.
Photoshoots
Many people come to the convention in cosplay to have a great time with their fellow cosplayers! Bring your cameras and do photoshoots all over our wonderful venue.
Miniatures Games
Join us in our tabletop gaming room for miniatures and wargames.
Special Guests
Our convention has an incredible list of special guests attending every year! Voice actors, industry members, entertainers, and musicians join our event every year. Get an autograph with your favorite voice actors, see an amazing concert, and enjoy a great weekend!
Grand Cosplay Contest
Our Grand Cosplay Contest, aka the Masquerade, will be the best opportunity to show off your costumes and see some awesome, talented people. We have experienced costuming judges, and excellent competitors. We do everything we can to make your costumes look excellent on stage. Do you want to compete? Get the full cosplay contest details first.
Exhibit Hall
Our exhibit hall will feature some of the most awesome vendors ever, with tons of anime swag to take home. Dealers will be selling everything you can imagine, from costumes and corsets to pocky and DVDs, you'll be able to find some awesome stuff in our dealers room.
Arcade Gaming
We love arcade games from around the world, and our arcade gaming room is happy to bring them to you! In the past we have worked with partners including Tokyo Attack, Kdogs Arcade, and Credits Remaining to bring games like Dance Dance Revolution, JuBeat, Reflec Beat, Pop n Music, Taiko Drumming, and more. Join us and our partners for a game room filled with at least a dozen awesome arcade games.
Video Games
Our video gaming area features tons of big LCDs screens, game consoles, and more, with gaming tournaments happening all weekend. You can compete in tournaments centered around the latest console games and more.
Tournament Information
Rave Dances
Our guest DJ lineup features a collection of distinguished and electrifying talents, including the likes of Greg Ayres and YTCracker, among others. These virtuosos are poised to set the stage on fire with an adrenaline-infused selection of EDM. Forget about bad transitions and little bass, we're talking about a non-stop, pulse-pounding journey through the best of Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, Techno, Trance, House, Drum and Bass -- whatever the audience can groove to. Rest assured, there won't be a moment's lapse, and the quality of our DJs is uncompromising.
Chicago Anime Rave
Formal Fantasy Cosplay Ball
As a special treat, our convention holds an annual fantasy ball. Admission is free to convention attendees with a badge. In addition, we will have professional formal dance lessons before the event begins, taught by an experienced dance instructor. For those without dates, we will even have our very own Date Auction on Friday afternoon, before the ball. Semi-formal outfits and above required for this exciting featured event.
Chicago Formal Ball
AnimeCon.org's Fabulous Date Auction
Unrivaled by any other convention, AnimeCon.org's Fabulous Date Auction is your chance to win a date to the formal ball.... or several, if you're greedy. Join our sexy 20-con veteran hosts as they auction off other cosplayers to the highest bidder. Money goes towards improving the con, and 10% of all winning bids is donated to charity.
Escape Rooms
Keep Krampus Out! A Christmas in July Adventure!: Light the Christmas tree! Find clues in the stockings! Discover the Mouse King’s secret! Open all the presents! Santa Claus has been Claus-napped by the evil Krampus and his magic has been sealed away within presents under the tree. In this holiday-themed escape room you must work together to solve puzzles to open all the gifts, gather Santa’s magical apparel, and use them to defeat the Krampus and save Christmas! Great for kids and adults!
Secret Aboard Starship Astraeus: Your ragtag group of space scavengers have just stumbled upon the mother lode - a derelict Galactic Concordant Starship ripe for the taking! Scrapping it for parts alone would net you enough credits to buy a small moon! But the unusual cargo on the Astraeus has made it a target by the ruthless Urbraxian Dominion. And what you thought was a simple scavenging job has become a race for survival! Test your wits and guile in this high tech interactive adventure!
Discovery of Starship Astraeus: After warping through Xenospace, the crew of Starship Astraeus find themselves stranded in a strange and unexplored region of the galaxy. You must work as a crew and use the ship’s systems to make an incredible discovery and find a path back to Earth. But time is not on your side. A solar flare is heating up and the ship won’t hold together for long. In order to survive, do you dare trust a former foe? Make multiple choices that lead to multiple endings in this sci-fi adventure that follows “Secret Aboard Starship Astraeus” but can also be played without prior experience.
Starship Tickets Keep Krampus Out Tickets Watch Trailer on YouTube
Concerts
Anime Midwest features epic concerts every year including fantastic guests playing everything from anime theme song covers to unique shows filled with noir, rock, and tremendous energy. Everything about Anime Midwest's concerts is awesome.
Panels
Anime Midwest has tons of panels, submitted and created by attendees like you. Talk about favorite shows, compete in homemade game shows, learn stuff, and more! Everything you love, from Lolita and Dolls, to Killa la Kill and Pokemon, we'll have it. Want to run a panel? Go to the event submission form.
Cosplay
We are excited to feature tons of cosplay events, in addition to the mainstage masquerade cosplay competition, including photoshoots, meetups, panels, and much more. Join your friends and celebrate your favorite characters in costume.
Mainstage Contest Rules Online signup is available when the con is between 60 and 2 days from now. You can sign up at the con until we're full.
ConSweet
We provide the best in Chicago of free snacks, ramen, and rice all weekend. To help you get through the convention filled with energy, our ConSweet provides congoers with unlimited rice, ramen, and soda throughout the entire weekend. Rice/ramen/soda may not be taken out of the ConSweet, and please clean up after yourself. The ConSweet will be located in the ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in 2023, and is typically in either the DoubleTree or Embassy Suites.
Meetups
Meetup with people who like the same stuff as you. Whether it's Ball Jointed Dolls, Lolita Fashion, Kingdom Hearts, J-Pop, or whatever, you'll make friends here. Meet other people with the same interests and make friends.
Autographs
We have a ton of awesome guests and of course you can have their autograph. The first autograph from most of our special guests is free, so bring your favorite DVD to get signed (no bootlegs, please).
Over 100+ events total.
There are also numerous panels and events not listed here happening at the convention, ranging from Karaoke to workshops. Please check out our website regularly so that you can find a more complete list when we post our program guide closer to the convention.
