FanFes just happened last weekend and it’s already one of my top events for the year so far! That sounds like a heavy claim coming from somebody that keeps going to events on a weekly basis at this point, but from the events that I’ve attended, there’s just something about FanFes that made it all worthwhile.
What’s FanFes?
All this praise for FanFes would fall on deaf ears without even talking about it, so let’s have a quick run-through of what FanFes is and what makes it special. Currently in its sophomore year, FanFes is an event by the CosplayPH team which happens every season after Cosplay Carnival, another CosplayPH event.
In the words of the CosplayPH team, FanFes set out to become “an oasis for different fandoms and cosplay enthusiasts amidst the hustle and bustle of the city,” and in my opinion as a congoer, it did just that—with a great venue, an organized program, and fun surprises along the way.
By the fans, for the fans
If you’ve come from Cosplay Carnival and compared both events side by side, you’d think they were the same, but in reality, the event schedule itself tells a different story.
A majority of the activities are CosplayPH mainstays like the Cosplay Auction, Open Mic Karaoke, and Cosplay Karaoke, but subtle differences like the presence of the ThinkTalk segments and even the variety in stage games like Guess The Sketch—utilizing art from the merchants found in the Artist Alley—were welcome additions.
All things considered, as a generic congoer you’re already getting more bang for your buck with this event, considering the tickets ranged from 88 pesos all the way to 1,499 pesos. The only catch is if you get the Shopper’s Pass at 88, you won’t be able to go in until 6 PM when the program ends—but if you’re there for shopping to begin with, you end up saving anyway.
Usually, interview segments with major guests like their international cosplayer Rithe, or even getting to mingle with some of the other roaming influencers like Prinz De Guzman or AWIE—who were part of the PUBG booth—or even taking part in seminars on being a VTuber or boothing at events would be ticket-gated. But these were all part of the base program, which was already a bargain. And if you went on the first day, you’d feel pretty invincible.
Surprises in every corner
It pays to be online to check out an event’s list of updates and guestings, because to the surprise of everyone who attended the first day, Universal Philippines brought out international singer-songwriter D4vd for a mini concert. It was even more surprising considering that he not only brought his A-game but even performed in cosplay as Sasuke from Naruto Shippuden. The surprises kept on coming when he was suddenly joined by Myrtle, cosplaying as Naruto in Sexy Jutsu, and even retelling the story of Myrtle being the one to help him out with his first cosplay.
Sometimes, how things relate to each other can be a stretch, but nobody would’ve guessed that any of this would happen—even with the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang booth featuring the new Naruto skins or PUBG featuring their latest Attack on Titan collab. But with what FanFes showed, we might get Fortnite-level collabs down the line—both IRL, in-event, and in-game too!
Crowded but not cramped
With a smaller venue and more booths in the Artist Alley compared to the previous event—as well as a compact crowd space in front of the stage—you’d expect that congoers and cosplayers alike would be stuck like sardines. But after going on both days and during peak hours of all times, this was never the case. There may have been instances where some parts of the Artist Alley were cramped, but throughout the day you could tell the event was crowded—but not really cramped.
I love how the team utilized the venue, Space at One Ayala, by segregating the food concessionaires and info booths. It was highly optimized with little to no empty space in the halls without conceding guest mobility. Even going around the mall heading toward the event halls was fun—seeing all these cosplayers and photographers giving a mini exhibit for onlookers, even if they weren’t actually joining the convention.
More to Come
There’s a lot to praise about FanFes, both as a congoer and even just as a pop culture enthusiast, with it currently being in my top 5 events for the first half of 2025. It gets better knowing that events like these show how well spaces could be used, and it keeps me excited for the rest of the CosplayPH events. And with this only being the second of six Seasons of Cosplay events, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Check out the Cosplay Mania Facebook Page for more updates on upcoming events and more:
https://www.facebook.com/CosplayMania
