Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

Comic Fiesta

Comic Fiesta, abbreviated as CF, is Malaysia's longest-running convention that focuses on animation, comics and games (ACG). Its focus is to celebrate all aspects of art, creativity, and ACG culture of Malaysia and abroad. Comic Fiesta is usually held in December at various locations, including Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre at KLCC. It is an event held with the motto of "event by fans for fans", and is also the first and the largest ACG convention in Malaysia. The annually held CF thus acts as an avenue for cosplayers to meet and display their costume-making skills and character embodiment, as well as to interact with fans.

Last revised
Jun 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 11 min
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2,644 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Comic Fiesta
StatusActive
GenreAnime convention
ACG event
FrequencyAnnually
VenueKL Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur
CountryMalaysia
Years active23
Inaugurated14 December 2002 (2002-12-14)
Most recent
20–21 December 2025
Next event
19–20 December 2026
Attendance75,000 (2025)
Major events
Anime Fest, Comic Fiesta Mini
Organised byComic Fiesta Sdn Bhd;1 Sequential Arts Youth Society (former)2
Websitewww.comicfiesta.org

Comic Fiesta, abbreviated as CF, is Malaysia's longest-running convention that focuses on animation, comics and games (ACG). Its focus is to celebrate all aspects of art, creativity, and ACG culture of Malaysia and abroad. Comic Fiesta is usually held in December at various locations, including Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre at KLCC. It is an event held with the motto of "event by fans for fans",3 and is also the first and the largest ACG convention in Malaysia. The annually held CF thus acts as an avenue for cosplayers to meet and display their costume-making skills and character embodiment, as well as to interact with fans.4

Starting in 2002, CF was first held in Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur. It has expanded to include more participants with each passing year and thus has increased the accessibility and the number of activities at the convention. Some of these activities include cosplay competitions, 100 days countdown, Live Art Demonstration, Portfolio Review Pavilion and industry seminars. The more recent CF editions, particularly from 2014, also included stage performances, concerts and visits by special guests such as Danny Choo, Wan Hazmer and performers from Hololive. Besides Comic Fiesta itself, CF Mini Penang and CF Mini Johor are other CF like events also held in Malaysia. The next edition of CF will be held in between 19 to 20 December 2026 in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

History

Comic Fiesta started as a small exhibition at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 and was organised by the SAY Youth Society.56 Comic Fiesta 2003 did better than its starting year with the venue now changed to Impiana Hotel which is also located in Kuala Lumpur (currently known as Ancasa Hotel and Spa). The space had increased with a standing capacity of 300, which is double the amount than the previous year. The next Comic Fiesta was held at the Malaysian National Visual Art Gallery. Comic Fiesta 2005 and 2006 editions were both held at Sekolah Sri Sedaya. Due to the venue's close proximity to Sunway Pyramid and public transport services, the event happened to be more convenient and accessible. Comic Fiesta 2006 in particular became the birthplace of Cosplay Chess which is also a common fixture at local ACG events.7 The following year's Comic Fiesta was then moved to Berjaya Times Square, located in Kuala Lumpur.8

Comic Fiesta 2008 was held at the Sunway Convention Centre (now known as Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre) in Selangor. Over 5,600 m 2 {\displaystyle m^{2}} of unobstructed function space played a significant role in attracting a larger number of attendees than the last year. Live Art Demonstrations and the Portfolio Review Pavilion also debuted in the 2008 edition which helped aspiring artists who were looking for a breakthrough in Malaysian comics industry.7 It had also continued the 100 days countdown annual event before CF where artists would submit artwork based on mascots such as Coffy and Tea.9

CF 2010, Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur source ↗

Keeping the same Live Art Demonstrations and Portfolio Review Pavilion played a significant role in bringing more than 7,000 visitors for CF 2009 (also held at the Sunway Convention Centre). Industry seminar representatives for CF 2009 included Imaginary Friends Studios, Pekomik, Big Beak Productions, The One Academy, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Clazroom and MDeC. Comic Fiesta 2010, held at Berjaya Times Square's Manhattan Ballroom, continued the trend and attracted over 11,000 people.710

In 2011, Comic Fiesta was moved to Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Comic Fiesta 2011 attracted over 15,000 visitors over two days; and Comic Fiesta 2012, also held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, drew over 25,000 visitors across two days (22 and 23 December 2012), and was attended by renowned Japanese artists such as Redjuice, Danny Choo and bless4.811 Internationally, various doujinshi writers from India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia also took part in it.12

In 2014, Comic Fiesta was held at KLCC from 27 to 28 December with different ACG events held here, including cosplay competition, creative art market booths, game competition finals, stage performances and concert.13 Producer Shinji Hashimoto and Lead Game Designer Wan Hazmer of Square Enix also held a panel on discussing the future of Final Fantasy by showing the trailer of Final Fantasy XV, which carried some influences of Malaysian life.14

Comic Fiesta 2015 source ↗

In 2015, Comic Fiesta was moved to MINES International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) located in Mines Wellness City. Comic Fiesta 2015 attracted 45,000 visitors for over 2 days. Performing guests consisted of Flow, Majiko from Exit Tunes, Inc., guest cosplayers Reika, Jin (behindinfinity) and also special guests Danny Choo, Hajime Tabata and Wan Hazmer from Square Enix.15

In 2016, Comic Fiesta was then moved to Putra World Trade Centre. Comic Fiesta stated it grew rapidly. Guest lineup starring in this event included local performers such as 5 Minute Heroes and Ocean of Fire; international cosplayers Siutao, Miu, Onnies, and Stayxxxx; and popular illustrators Evacomics and Zeen.1617

Starting from Comic Fiesta 2017, the location reverted to KLCC to accommodate the increasing number of visitors.18 Comic Fiesta 2018, which was held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 22 to 23 December 2018, attracted approximately 60,000 visitors.19 Comic Fiesta 2019 was held in between 21 to 22 December 2019, also at KLCC.2021

Comic Fiesta-associated events, such as the Comic Art Festival Kuala Lumpur 7 (CAFKL7), Comic Fiesta Mini Johor 2020, Comic Fiesta Mini Penang 2020 and the Toys Anime Game Comic Con 2020 (TAGCC 2020) was announced to be postponed to 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.22

Making its return in 2022, Comic Fiesta had been held at KLCC receiving approximately 69,000 visitors. Special guests included Suzuki Konomi, Akihito Tsukushi and performers from Hololive.2324

Comic Fiesta in 2024 was held in KLCC from 21 to 22 December 2024, which attracted approximately 73,000 visitors.8 Some of the special guests included various comic companies from Hong Kong supported by HKETO, which also held the opening ceremony of Comic Fiesta that year. Japanese artists such as Suzuki Konomi and Myth & Roid vocalist KIHOW also were the popular segments for the event.2526

B2Takes performing at Comic Fiesta 2025 source ↗

Comic Fiesta's most recent edition was held from 21 to 22 December 2025 at KLCC which attracted approximately 75,000 visitors, hence making it the most visited CF to date.8 Some of the special guests included Shoji Kawamori whose film Labyrinth had its premiere screening in the event, Naoki Hamaguchi, Studio Head and Director of Final Fantasy XIV and Wan Hazmer. The television anime Sentenced to be a Hero also had its premiere screening at the event.27 Hong Kong Pavilion sponsored by CCIDA from Hong Kong had also participated in it. A local artist had some stolen work being sold as a merchandise in the same year's CF.2829

In 2026, Comic Fiesta will be held in between 19 and 20 December 2026 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.30

Showcase

Creative Art Market

Comic Fiesta plays host to the largest amateur creative art market in Malaysia similar to Comiket of Japan, which consists over 100 booths showcasing talents in the field of visual arts and illustration. Comic Fiesta also contains a wide variety of self-published comics, artbooks, posters and other merchandises available for sale.31

Cosplay

Comic Fiesta hosts both solo and group cosplay competitions for e.g., Cosplay Invitational, and 60 Seconds of Anything.3233 Participants use the chance to showcase their skills in cosplay, attracting many to attend the event aside from buying self-published comics and artbooks.34

Comic Fiesta Mini

Comic Fiesta Mini Johor 2018 source ↗

Comic Fiesta also organises two small CF-like events specialized for ACG enthusiasts in the north and south of Peninsular Malaysia, namely Comic Fiesta Mini Penang (stylized as CF Mini Penang) and Comic Fiesta Mini Johor (stylized as CF Mini JB, since 2018).35

List of Comic Fiesta events

# Year Date Location Attendance8
1 2002 14–15 December Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur (now known as The Kuala Lumpur And Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall) 50017
2 2003 6 December Impiana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur (now known as Ancasa Hotel) 1,000
3 2004 11–12 December Malaysian National Visual Art Gallery (Balai Seni Visual Negara) 3,000
4 2005 17–18 December Sekolah Sri Sendaya, Subang Jaya (now Sekolah Sri UCSI Subang Jaya) 3,000
5 2006 16–17 December Sekolah Sri Sendaya, Subang Jaya (now Sekolah Sri UCSI Subang Jaya) 3,000
6 2007 15–16 December Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur 5,000
7 2008 20–21 December Sunway Convention Centre 7,000
8 2009 19–20 December Sunway Convention Centre 8,000
9 2010 18–19 December Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur 10,000
10 2011 17–18 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 15,000
11 2012 22–23 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 25,000
12 2013 21–22 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 40,000
13 2014 27–28 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 49,000
14 2015 19–20 December Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Seri Kembangan (MIECC) 45,000
15 2016 17–18 December Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur (PWTC) 45,000
16 2017 16–17 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 55,000
17 2018 22–23 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 60,000
18 2019 21–22 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 60,000–65,00021
# 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
19 2022 17–18 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 65,000–69,00036
20 2023 23–24 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 70,000
21 2024 21–22 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 70,000–73,00037
22 2025 20–21 December Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC 75,000
References

References

  1. "Contact Us". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 31 March 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  2. "SAYS Youth Society | Comic Fiesta". comicfiesta.org. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  3. WhatsOn (24 October 2018). "Comic Fiesta 2018 - Your Guide to News, Culture, and Global Lifestyle". Retrieved 12 June 2026. It is an event held with the motto of "event by fans for fans"
  4. Chan, Rachel Suet Kay (15 January 2018). ""Expressive Rationality": Habitus and Field in a Malaysian Cosplay Community". International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies. 14 (1): 152. doi:10.21315/ijaps2018.14.1.6. ISSN 1823-6243. Besides this, there are conventions held in Malaysia, mostly in capital city Kuala Lumpur, which act as avenues for cosplayers to meet and display their costume-making skills and character embodiment, as well as to interact with fans. One such convention is the annually held Comic Fiesta.
  5. Yamato, Eriko (2 July 2016). "'Growing as a person': experiences at anime, comics, and games fan events in Malaysia". Journal of Youth Studies. 19 (6): 743–759. doi:10.1080/13676261.2015.1098769. ISSN 1367-6261. Comic Fiesta organized by SAY Youth Society began with a few hundred visitors in 2002, and expanded to fill six halls in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center with nearly 40,000 people in 2013.
  6. Hodapp, James (7 April 2022). Graphic Novels and Comics as World Literature. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-5013-7343-5. Comic Fiesta, since its inception in 2002 (Junid and Yamato 2019), received about 49,000 participants at their event in 2014 (Yamato 2016).
  7. "CF 101: A History of Comic Fiesta «  Comic Fiesta". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  8. "Comic Fiesta". Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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  12. Mamat, Roslina; Mansor, Nor Shahila; Abdul Halim, Hazlina; Abd Rahim, Normaliza (1 December 2015). "Manga Dan Dojinshi Malaysia: Persamaan dan Perbezaan Ciri-Ciri Luaran Karikatur (Similarities and Differences in The External Characteristics of Manga and Dojinshi Caricatures in Malaysia)". Jurnal Komunikasi, Malaysian Journal of Communication. 31 (2): 480. doi:10.17576/jkmjc-2015-3102-27. ISSN 2289-1528.
  13. "Comic Fiesta 2014 | Malaysia's most epic ACG convention". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  14. "New Final Fantasy XV info & tech demo revealed at Comic Fiesta 2014". Nova Crystallis. 28 December 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
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  16. "CF2016". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 7 December 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  17. Datta, Zameen (3 November 2016). "Malaysia's biggest fiesta is here!". VOIZ asia. Archived from the original on 8 March 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  18. Weijun, Eu (18 December 2017). "Thousands flock to KLCC for Comic Fiesta". Free Malaysia Today | FMT. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  19. "Comic Fiesta 2019 | 21–22 Dec, KLCC". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  20. "CF2019". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  21. Bernama (22 December 2019). "'Comic Fiesta' platform to showcase local talents". Bernama. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  22. "Events 2020". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  23. Hakim, Luqman (16 December 2022). "Hololive EN and Hololive ID Are Coming To Malaysia This Weekend". IGN Southeast Asia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  24. "CF2022". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 19 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  25. "HKETO Jakarta promotes Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development in Malaysia (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 16 October 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  26. Tee, Kenneth (29 December 2024). "Malaysia's Comic Fiesta 2024 ends with a bang with popular Japanese artistes Suzuki Konomi, MYTH & ROID vocalist KIHOW rocking crowd". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  27. "Sentenced to be a Hero TV Anime Gets Premiere Screening at Malaysia Comic Fiesta". Anime News Network. 8 May 2026. Archived from the original on 28 February 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  28. "Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency sponsored industry to participate in Comic Fiesta 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  29. Bahrom, Shahril (24 December 2025). "Local Artist Exposes Stolen Artwork, Claims To Have Been Threatened If Post Is Not Taken Down". Archived from the original on 11 April 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
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  31. "COMIC FIESTA 2025 - Creative Art Market". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  32. "Our Events". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 31 March 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  33. "60 Seconds of Anything Cosplay Competition". Comic Fiesta. Archived from the original on 26 February 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  34. Chan, Rachel Suet Kay (15 January 2018). ""Expressive Rationality": Habitus and Field in a Malaysian Cosplay Community". International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies. 14 (1): 156. doi:10.21315/ijaps2018.14.1.6. ISSN 1823-6243. Malaysian cosplayers, as a subset of Asian cosplayers, are made up of multiethnic members of Asian descent. Attendance at a convention such as Comic Fiesta helps them acquire an audience, as well as exchanging social contacts.
  35. "I.O.E.A". ioea.info. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
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External links