Comic Con Astana marks fifth year with record cosplay prizes and local creators

Comic Con Astana celebrated its fifth anniversary over four days in August, filling two venues in the capital with hundreds of events spanning cosplay, gaming, comics, and digital art. The festival, described by organizers as Central Asia's largest pop culture gathering, featured Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for Game of Thrones, alongside Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson and One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy and Taz Skylar.

At Alau Ice Palace, thousands of attendees moved through corridors lined with handmade costumes ranging from anime and comic-book characters to original fantasy designs. Many visitors spent months constructing their outfits; 20-year-old Alina Shcherbakova worked for six months on an Archangel costume inspired by Biblical imagery, while Madina Sembayeva sourced materials from second-hand shops for her portrayal of Garnet from Steven Universe, a character she associates with self-acceptance.

First-time competitor Azamat Saparbek appeared as Jean Pierre Polnareff from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, having built the entire costume himself after watching last year's contest from the audience. The amateur cosplay competitions ran for both children and adults, offering newcomers and experienced creators a shared stage.

The festival's International Cosplay Contest, held at Barys Arena, offered a record prize pool of 20 million tenge (approximately €37,000), the largest in the event's history. Executive Producer Natalya Abrashkina said applications arrived from more than 20 countries, but only 180 contestants advanced through what she described as an extremely rigorous selection process.

Beyond imported franchises, Comic Con Astana has become a launchpad for original Kazakh projects. Cosplayer Aruzhan Zhunusova debuted the character Tengrida at last year's festival; the concept has since expanded into a full fantasy universe. This year the team premiered Tengrida: Cyber Steppe, a three-minute AI-assisted animated film drawing on the culture of the Great Steppe.

Coster-Waldau, visiting Kazakhstan for the first time, described a traditional Kazakh sauna experience as "incredible" and joked it had ruined other spas for him. He told reporters he had visited the Baiterek Monument and wished to return to Astana. The actor is awaiting the release of the Netflix film The Last Mrs. Parrish, directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-starring Jennifer Lopez.

While final cosplay results were tallied, the festival continued with gaming tournaments, workshops, concerts, and fan meet-and-greets across both venues. Over five years, the event has grown from a fan convention into one of Central Asia's leading pop culture platforms, increasingly showcasing Kazakh creators alongside international guests.