TOKYO ANIME NEXT has revealed the full program for its upcoming four-day event in Tokyo, including a major orchestra stage featuring Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan and Detective Conan. The event will take place from October 30 to November 2, 2026, across venues in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro area, with the main event scheduled for November 2 at Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL.
The centerpiece will combine specially edited anime footage with live orchestral performances and appearances by artists associated with the three franchises. Mai Kuraki, Nami Nakagawa and Ai Higuchi will perform, with Hirofumi Kurita conducting the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The approximately 90-minute event will also include the first announcement of a new anime award planned for 2027.
TOKYO ANIME NEXT is being presented by the Association of Japanese Animations as a launch event for a larger anime event planned for 2027. Its four-day schedule is designed around three themes: watching, experiencing and learning about Japanese animation.
Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan and Detective Conan Headline Orchestra Stage
The November 2 main event will be divided into three sections. The opening ceremony will run for approximately 30 minutes, followed by a 40-minute Orchestra Premium Stage and a 20-minute presentation about the planned 2027 anime award.
The Orchestra Premium Stage will focus on Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan and Detective Conan. Iconic scenes from the three anime will be shown alongside live orchestral arrangements and performances by the featured artists.
Kuraki is particularly closely associated with Detective Conan, having performed theme songs for the series since 2000. In 2026, she reached 30 Detective Conan theme songs, extending her Guinness World Record for the most theme songs performed by a single artist for an anime series.
Nakagawa has contributed vocals and chorus work to Demon Slayer, including the songs “Kamado Tanjiro no Uta” and “Kamado Nezuko no Uta.” Higuchi, meanwhile, wrote and performed “Akuma no Ko,” the ending theme for Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2. The official Attack on Titan website has separately confirmed Higuchi’s participation in the November 2 stage.
TOKYO ANIME NEXT Will Feature Anime Screenings and Talks
The event will also host approximately 10 anime screenings on October 31 and November 1 at Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas and TOHO Cinemas Ikebukuro. Several screenings will include appearances by cast members, directors or production staff.
The announced lineup includes LONA, Expelled from Paradise: Resonance of the Heart, Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night and My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Heroes: Rising. The Sword Art Online screening will feature Haruka Tomatsu, Inori Minase and director Ayako Kono, while LONA will feature voice actors Anna Nagase and Fuka Izumi alongside director Takashi Katagiri and producer Joji Wada.
Tickets for these paid screenings will cost ¥2,500, with advance lottery applications opening October 8 and general sales scheduled to begin October 20.
Event Will Also Support Future Anime Creators
Beyond screenings and performances, TOKYO ANIME NEXT will offer free workshops and educational programs. Children can participate in an animation workshop using Chibi Maruko-chan to learn how animation creates the illusion of movement.
A November 2 program at Toshima Civic Center will include seminars covering Super Kaguya-hime!, Japanese-Saudi Arabian anime co-productions and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of the Kirke. A separate creator course will examine the future of animator training, featuring representatives from Sasayuri Animation Training Institute, FLINT BASE and Anime Juku.
The most significant announcement beyond the performances will come during the main event’s final section. Organizers will unveil the name and concept of a new anime award being prepared for 2027.
TOKYO ANIME NEXT describes the 2026 event as the “prologue” to that initiative. The organizers intend for the planned award to become a long-running celebration of Japanese animation, with further details scheduled to be revealed on stage November 2.
The main event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on November 2, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free with reserved seating. The first advance lottery runs from October 8 to October 12, followed by a second lottery from October 15 to October 19. General first-come, first-served applications open October 28.
