GalaxyCon's Animate Comes to Philadelphia

PopEntertainment
Oct 6
3 min read

GalaxyCon's Animate Comes to Philadelphia

“Go big or go home” is typically the basis of the majority of comic conventions we see today. Most utilize huge convention centers and show an overwhelming number of activities at once. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, Animate! by GalaxyCon, the self-proclaimed largest geek culture convention organization in North America, brought an “animation celebration” to the Philly suburbs from October 3-5, 2025, that was a breath of fresh air for me as a seasoned con-goer.

Within the modest sized Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, the convention maintained plenty of classical con activities, while offering unique experiences in an easy to navigate space. Accompanying me to cover Animate! was someone who had never attended a convention before. Once he got a feel for what was offered in a typical experience, he claimed that this closer-knit space was a great layout for him to find what he wanted to see.

Ultimately panels, artist alley (with a full ban on AI generated art, which I applaud), refreshments, collectable vendors, cosplay competitions, a drag show and more completed the con experience and gave a great impression to our first-time guests. However, he felt the need to mention how the sometimes very open presentation of sexual content in places easily visible to children walking the floor could be off-putting to some parents. I tend to agree that in a family-friendly event where children have their own spaces, but freedom to walk the floor as well, explicit material should be a little harder to see unless proper identification is presented.

Many activities were offered that I have come to love and look forward to including craft spaces and a gaming lounge. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves over Mario Kart for a good hour, getting a bit lost in the gameplay. Another awesome section enjoyed by con-goers was the Just Dance stage that remained busy throughout the event.

While we were not in the audience, we could also hear the convention’s karaoke stage holding open mic for attendees of all ages. Performing on the “Senpai Stage," you could hear singing, clapping and laughter throughout the Expo Center.

Animate also offered fun events “after dark” for the adult crowd after the show floor closed. Friday night’s Emo Night, Saturday night’s The Wonderful World of Striptease, Cartoon Cabaret, and concert kept the older con-goers late into the night.

The main stage hosted panels speaking to all fandoms from My Hero Academia to One Piece, Hazbin Hotel, Demon Slayer and Phineas and Ferb, etc. Meanwhile in the meeting areas, fans lined up to get autographs and chat with some of their favorite voice actors behind the characters they love as well as artists, cosplayers, and film/tv actors. And while this con may have covered less square footage than some of the big ones, they still brought in huge name guests to satisfy visitors from all fandoms. Walking through I admittedly got a little starstruck hearing familiar voices from my favorite shows. Their stacked lineup of talents from several corners of pop-culture like Vincent Martella, Zach Aguilar, Ray Chase, Tara Strong and J. Michael Tatum.

GalaxyCon’s 2025 event lineup spanned 18 stops under titles of Animate, GalaxyCon and Nightmare Weekend with 20 already scheduled for 2026. Their range of events offers exciting experiences for fans across different genres. Check out future con stops at galaxycon.com or on social media at @galaxycon.info on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.

Once our weekend came to a close, my guest left with a new urge to visit more conventions, while I left excited to experience Animate 2026. I also left with more art than I intended to purchase, but that’s part of the fun. I believe no purchase at a convention is a bad purchase, and by proxy, no convention on a smaller scale is unfulfilling. I eagerly look forward to next time and cannot wait until next year!

Jordan Wagner