San Diego Anime Con holds its third annual show Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Mission Valley. It is a small, hotel-based convention with voice actor guests, a maid cafe, taiko drums, a cosplay contest, a game room, and a Saturday that runs until midnight.
It is also one of the cheaper weekends around: a three-day pass is $55 in advance, and kids under 8 get in free with a paid adult. Here is the plan, from the convention’s site as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Friday, November 13, 3 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Where | DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Mission Valley, 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108 |
| Guests | Paul St. Peter, Brandon Acosta, Joe Hernandez, Reshel Mae, and more voice actors |
| Tickets | Three days $55 in advance; single days $20 to $25; VIP $100; higher at the door |
| Ages | Under 8 free with a paid adult. 15 and under must attend with a parent or guardian. |
| Official site | sandiegoanimecon.com |
Guests and programming
The convention has split its voice actor guests by day. One more guest is listed as to be announced.
Saturday, November 14
Paul St. Peter, Joe Hernandez, Jonny Loquasto, Amelia Gotham, and Madeleine Dee.
Sunday, November 15
Brandon Acosta, Jacob Eiseman, Mauricio Ortiz-Segura, and Reshel Mae.
Know the voice, pick your day
| If you love… | Meet | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts) or the Nine-Tailed Fox (Naruto) | Paul St. Peter | Saturday |
| Yunobo (Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) or Pesci (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) | Joe Hernandez | Saturday |
| Ifa (Genshin Impact) | Jonny Loquasto | Saturday |
| Legend of Zelda games | Amelia Gotham | Saturday |
| Leonardo Luna (Blue Lock) or Akira Kurusu (Kaiju No. 8) | Brandon Acosta | Sunday |
| Akinori Konoha (Haikyu!!) | Jacob Eiseman | Sunday |
| Shinichi Kudo (Detective Conan) | Mauricio Ortiz-Segura | Sunday |
| Lishu (The Apothecary Diaries) | Reshel Mae | Sunday |
Around the hotel
- Anime panels, plus the Dynamic Room for hands-on, interactive sessions
- A maid cafe and taiko drums
- A cosplay contest and cosplay meetups
- A game room and PandaMonium
- The Exhibitor Hall and the Anime Artist Area
Badges
General admission gets you into every room, including the Exhibitor Hall, the Anime Artist Area, and the Dynamic Room. Buy through the official ticket page. Prices go up at the door.
| Pass | Advance (through November 12) | At the door |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | $20 | $25 |
| Saturday | $25 | $30 |
| Sunday | $20 | $25 |
| Three-day | $55 | Not listed |
| VIP (all three days) | $100 | Not listed |
- VIP perks: Preferred seating at panels, entertainment, and the cosplay contest, plus a merch bundle with a T-shirt, sticker, badge, poster, tote bag, and trading card.
- Kids: Children under 8 are free with a paid adult, one free child per paid adult. Anyone 15 and under must attend with a parent or guardian.
- Refunds: The ticket page says refunds are honored until November 12, 2026, and not on or after the event date.
Cosplay and props
Every potential weapon goes through Prop Check, where staff decide what is allowed and tag it. Keep the tag on all weekend. From the weapons and prop policy:
- Swords: Costume swords are allowed if they are secured so they cannot be drawn.
- Not allowed: Firearms, replica firearms made of metal or other solid materials, projectile weapons (Nerf included), brass knuckles, metal chains, baseball bats, martial arts weapons, batons, tasers, and armor or shields with sharp edges or protrusions.
- Also banned: Skateboards and hoverboards.
- Bought a blade from a vendor? It must stay wrapped in thick paper or cardboard while you are inside the convention.
- Break the rules and the item is confiscated until you leave, and you can lose your badge without a refund.
House rules
- Food: Outside food is allowed, but not inside programming rooms, the exhibit hall, or the game room. Drinks are fine.
- Alcohol: Sales are 21 and over, and outside alcohol is not allowed.
- Costumes: Cosplay is encouraged. The event is family friendly, so no nudity, and no hate speech or symbols.
- Photos: By attending, you agree you may be photographed or recorded.
Staying over
The convention hotel is the venue itself. The group rate is $195 a night, and the booking deadline is October 23, 2026; after that, rooms are subject to availability. Book through the convention’s hotel page or by phone at (800) 222-TREE with group code SDA. A one-night deposit is charged at booking, and cancellations are fully refunded up to 72 hours before check-in.
A little history
San Diego Anime Con is produced by Silk Road Productions, which also runs Fangaea Con, Scream Diego, AniPop, and AnimeLand. This is the show’s third year. It shares its weekend with TwitchCon at the San Diego Convention Center, so the city will be busy. Our fall 2026 Southern California convention guide has the rest of the season.
Still to come
Parking details, the full schedule, and one more guest had not been posted as of this writing. The convention says parking information will be updated closer to the event. The 824 Journal will update this guide when it is.
Sources
- San Diego Anime Con, official site (dates, hours, venue, programming, organizer)
- San Diego Anime Con, Voice Actors and Guests
- San Diego Anime Con, Tickets
- San Diego Anime Con, Policies
- San Diego Anime Con, Weapons and Prop Policy
- San Diego Anime Con, Hotel Reservations
- San Diego Anime Con, Parking
Featured photo: Lrtman via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
