Announcements and updates specifically from the 2026 convention year.
All photos from our 2025 Charity Photobooth (courtesy of @mahouphotopnw) are now available on our photos page.
Fun fact: This year we had taken over 10,000 photos at the photobooth!
Thank you for stopping by our booth and we’ll see you in November!
Thank you to all of the 2025 Kumoricon 18+ Lip Sync Battle contestants and congratulations to all the winners. Thank you to judges Black Fire Rei, Peachy Venus Cos, and Names Not Alison Cosplay for their time and talents!
Best in Show
Best Beginner
Best Intermediate
Best Master
Thank you to all of the 2025 Kumoricon Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown contestants, and congratulations to the winners! Thank you to judges Corndog Ninja, Pengu Cosplay, and Names Not Alison Cosplay for their time and talents!
Best in Show
Runner Up
Judge’s Choices
Coordinator’s Choice
Applications for Kumoricon’s Artist Alley and Creators’ Column close today at 7:00PM Pacific Time — just 10 hours left to apply.
If you have been considering submitting your work, now is the time. Whether you are an individual artist showcasing illustrations and handmade goods or an independent creator with original products and brands, we would love to see what you have been working on.
Be sure to complete your application before the deadline.
You can find all of our KumoriMarket applications on our KumoriMarket page.
We look forward to reviewing your submissions.
Applications are now open for Kumoricon’s Artist Alley and Creators’ Column.
Starting now, applications are available and will remain open for 24 hours only, closing on February 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time. All submissions must be completed within this window.
Artist Alley is designed for amateur and professional artists showcasing individual artwork and handmade goods. This space traditionally features fan art prints, manga, models, paintings, novelty crafts, and other creative pieces driven by individual artists.
Creators’ Column (Formally Small Press) is intended for independently developed artist businesses focused on original content. This section includes creators producing fashion apparel, tabletop games, webcomics, plushies, and other self-developed brands and products.
If you are ready to share your work with the Kumoricon community, apply now.
We look forward to reviewing your applications.
Hello Kumoricon followers,
We would like to provide additional context and address questions that have come up regarding our recently announced Artist Alley application fee. As previously shared, there is now a $5 non-refundable application fee, plus a $0.14 card processing fee, required to be considered for Artist Alley. This fee is intended to discourage duplicate submissions from the same studio, automated bot entries, and bad-faith applications, including individuals applying under multiple names or business identities to increase their chances of acceptance. It also serves as a financial buffer to help offset continually rising venue and operational costs, reducing the need to further increase Artist Alley booth prices.
We want to be absolutely clear that this fee does not go to any Kumoricon staff member. Per our by-laws Kumoricon is a 100% volunteer-run event. No one on our staff, including our executive team or board of directors, is paid. Every hour spent organizing, planning and running the event is done by volunteers.
Our Artist Alley jury team generously donates their time to carefully review every portfolio for quality and policy compliance, including intellectual property violations, tracing, AI-generated or modified artwork, and stolen art. While all KumoriMarket applications are reviewed individually, Exhibitor and Creators’ Column submissions are received in smaller, more staggered quantities, making those review processes more manageable.
Last year, applications were open for only one hour and more than 1,000 submissions were received. This year applications will remain open for 24 hours, and we anticipate a significant increase in volume, which will naturally extend processing times. We are hoping to have a manageable amount for our staff to jury in a reasonable time to give artists time to plan and book travel if accepted.
We know this approach won’t benefit everyone, and it won’t solve every challenge. Our goal is to keep the event fair, affordable, and running strong for the long term. If you have any further questions, please direct them to artists@kumoricon.org. Thanks for being part of Kumoricon’s community and for continuing to grow with us. We appreciate you more than you know.
Beginning in 2026, Kumoricon will implement a $5 non-refundable application fee (plus processing) for all Artist Alley applicants.
We understand that adding a fee will raise questions, and we want to be transparent about why this change is being made. The Artist Alley jurying process is a detailed and time-intensive effort that requires significant expertise and many hours of careful review. Only a small number of trained team members are equipped to complete this work each year.
In recent application cycles, we have seen an increase in duplicate submissions and automated bot applications. These issues have added to the workload of our jurying team and delay the review process for everyone. The introduction of a modest, non-refundable application fee is intended to reduce these challenges, streamline the review process, and ultimately allow acceptance notifications to be sent earlier in the year so artists have more time to plan.
Please note that this fee applies only to Artist Alley applicants. Creators’ Column and Exhibitor applicants will not be charged an application fee at this time.
We remain committed to supporting both emerging and professional artists and to maintaining a fair, thorough, and timely selection process. We appreciate your understanding and continued interest in being part of our Artist Alley.
Kumoricon is excited to announce that our 2026 Guest Request Form is now open.
Have a guest you would love to see at this year’s event—or even at a future Kumoricon? Now is your chance to let us know. Our Guest Relations team is actively reviewing submissions as they build the 2026 guest lineup, and your input plays an important role in shaping the experience.
Whether it’s a voice actor, industry professional, creator, performer, or special guest, we want to hear your suggestions.
Submit your dream guest today and help us make Kumoricon 2026 unforgettable.
The Kumoricon Outreach Team is heading to LongCon 2026 at the Longview Public Library.
Join us on Saturday, February 21 from 10 AM – 5 PM for this free, all-ages, community-led mini-con celebrating comics, gaming, sci-fi, cosplay, anime, fantasy, and more. Enjoy vendors and artist booths, panels, workshops, cosplay, dance showcases, kids crafts, Lip Sync Battles, and more.
Kumoricon’s Outreach team will be onsite selling memberships for 2026 and our amazing merchandise. This is a great first event for friends who have never attended a convention before.
Applications will open on February 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time and will remain open for 24 hours only. Be sure to plan ahead and submit within the application window.
Artist Alley is designed for amateur and professional artists showcasing individual artwork and handmade goods. This space traditionally features items such as fan art prints, manga, models, paintings, and novelty crafts, offering a wide range of creative, artist-driven merchandise.
Creators’ Column (formally Small Press) is intended for independently developed artist businesses focused on original content. This section includes creators producing fashion apparel, tabletop games, webcomics, plushies, and other self-developed brands and products.
Whether you are an individual artist or an independent creative business, we encourage you to apply and share your work at Kumoricon.
Our first membership meeting for the 2026 convention year will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT, and we will be holding it online. The meeting will be streamed in real time on Kumoricon’s Twitch channel. Additional participation is available on our Discord server. Current staff, potential staff, and any other members of the public are welcome to attend.
If you have news to report during the “Good of the Order” portion of the meeting, you can email it to good.of.the.order@kumoricon.org. “Good of the Order” is a great place to share new anime you’ve been watching, bring up exciting activities you recommend people try, or news you think would be relevant to the staff and attendees of Kumoricon.
If you are an organization member (staff) of Kumoricon, you may officially participate in this meeting, including counting toward quorum and the ability to vote, using the procedures listed on the meetings page.
The full membership meeting schedule for the year is available at our meetings page. This page will always show the most up-to-date scheduling information for meetings of the membership.
We hope to see you there!
Get your full weekend membership for Kumoricon 2026 before February 7, 2026 when pricing increases to $75* for ages 13 and up and $30* for ages 6-12.
If you have any questions or need assistance with membership purchases, please contact registration@kumoricon.org
*Card processing fees will apply at checkout
All candid event photos from Kumoricon 2025 are now on our website! This includes photos from our Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown, Kumoricon Idol Festival, and all other events that weren’t in the first release.
Photos from our Charity Photobooth will be online soon and photos for 18+ events will be sent to individual performers by the event management team.
If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at multimedia@kumoricon.org.
The wait is over—applications for Exhibitors in the KumoriMarket for Kumoricon 2026 are officially open! This is your chance to showcase your products, connect with thousands of fans, and be part of one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier anime conventions.
Applications will remain open through Wednesday, July 29, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Space is limited, and applications may close early if the waitlist fills, so we strongly encourage interested exhibitors to apply as soon as possible.
Before applying, please review the updated Exhibitor Application FAQ for important details and answers to common questions.
Please note that applications for Artist Alley and Creators’ Column will open at a later date. Additional announcements will be shared soon.
If you have questions or need assistance, our Exhibits team is happy to help at exhibits@kumoricon.org.
We look forward to welcoming an incredible lineup of exhibitors to Kumoricon 2026!