Comic Con Astana celebrates fifth anniversary in Kazakhstan

Comic Con Astana, Central Asia's largest pop culture festival, celebrated its fifth anniversary in Kazakhstan. The four-day event took place across two locations, including the Alau Ice Palace and Barys Arena, drawing international actors, gamers, artists, and thousands of fans.

Notable guests included Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, recognized for his role in Game of Thrones. The festival featured numerous activities, including amateur cosplay contests for children and adults. At the Barys Arena, the International Cosplay Contest offered a record prize pool of 20 million tenge (approximately €37,000), with only 180 contestants qualifying for the competition following applications from over 20 countries.