AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival

Celebrating anime & gaming with fans of all kinds! 🎮 Join us at the Adelaide Showground on July 4-5, 2026 for #avcon2026
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[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Has it only been 8 years, or does she look older than that??

Which Juliette design do you remember? Do you remember the events before she joined the cast? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?

Come back tomorrow for Juliette's retro look!

Art by: Mai and ChaCha.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Has it only been 8 years, or does she look older than that??

Which Juliette design do you remember? Do you remember the events before she joined the cast? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?

Come back tomorrow for the last 2 version of our girl Juliette!

Art by: faewisp and MangaXai.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Meet AVCon's sweet strawberry!

In 2019 due to changes with the traditional AVCon Maid Café branding 'Ichigo Keki', the café was temporarily renamed to 'Ayvee's Maid Cafe' featuring art of our green haired girl in a cute maid outfit. Though since Ayvee was already pulling so many other duties it was decided to create a new mascot just for the Maid Café, and thus Juliette was born!

Created by AVCon staff artist Alexis Harris, she featured short pink hair, bright blue eyes, and strawberry accessories. Like Switch before her, she at first had no name and a competition to christen her via email was run. The winning entry was Juliette, which is a variety of bright red Australian strawberry well suited to her vibe.

But disaster struck as her 2020/2021 debuts events were cancelled due to the covid 19 pandemic spreading across the world. When AVCon finally returned in 2023 it was without a maid café at all, threatening to leave poor Juliette as a forgotten relic of a turbulent period.

Luckily for us all artist faewisp was a Juliette fan and she was promoted from maid café mascot to AVCon headliner alongside Ayvee and Switch on 2023 key artwork, cementing her as a part of AVCon's main cast. Juliette has gone on to be front and centre on every year's promotional material ever since.

That might be her real world origin, but within the AVConverse, where did Juliette come from? How did a small, cute, pink haired anime convention mascot just turn up on AVCon's door step one year? There are whispers that Juliette speaks with a Melbournian accent, and seems to know a lot about Melbourne universities and the Melbourne Showground. Surely it couldn't have anything to do with that incident that happened at the AVCon 2014 closing ceremony could it...

Check back over the next couple of days to see Juliette's many incarnations and the reveal of her retro design on Friday!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Did you know that 2027 marks 25 years of AVCon? That's a whole quarter of a century! Silver is traditionally used for the 25th year milestone, so what better way to celebrate than with a Silver Anniversary theme for AVCon 2027!

For Switch's design this year, we wanted to give him the vibe of an early 2000s gamer boy with the aesthetics of that period.

He's gone back to his mop of a haircut with longer side burns, he's more of a skinny awkward kid rather than bulky man. He has his traditional devil wings back as well as the mischievous grin that says he's probably up to something.

While Switch never had a specific traditional outfit, we used similar fits as he appeared in old art alongside Ayvee with her current look. Simple baggy jeans and button up shirt/tee combo. We wanted to remind everyone that Switch was the OG gamer of AVCon, so he's broken out the fan favourite Gamecube controller!

We hope you love his art as much as we do, and that you're getting excited to celebrate 25 years of AVCon with us in 2027!

That is the original duo covered, but we do have more mascots (even though their history is not quite as long). Next week we'll be looking at the art and history of the sweet strawberry that is Juliette

Art by - @jettienet

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Stay tuned tomorrow for the 2027 art!

Art by: faewisp, MangaXai, Mai, and ChaCha.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Over the years Switch as gone from goofy gamer, to square jawed beef cake, to slender pretty boy.

Which Switch design to you remember? How did he look the first year you attended AVCon? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?

Art by: Jamie Wearne, Rhonnie Tee, Alexis Harris, Alana Plume.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Over the years Switch as gone from goofy gamer, to square jawed beef cake, to slender pretty boy.

Which Switch design to you remember? How did he look the first year you attended AVCon? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next 10 years of Switch's designs, with the 2027 art coming Friday!

Art by: Amy Longhurst, Erin McGregor, serio555, Rosie Coleman, StolenStars, and Tarale.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Calling all artists!

AVCon's Christmas Artist Market is back on for 2026! Held in Adelaide in Rundle Mall Plaza on the 11 and 12 of December, it is a great time to have your art and crafts available for Christmas shoppers looking for a one of a kind Christmas present.

We also do a raffle and raise money for our own 'Games 4 Kids' charity to buy console and games for the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital!

If you want to be part of the market the application form can be found here https://t.co/65ZY1ieEVn

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Meet Switch, AVCon's off the wall gamer!

After a few years of anime inspired Ayvee being the sole face of the event, there was a worry that the perception was that AVCon was mainly dedicated to anime only.

To bring the video gaming to the forefront in 2005 a new mascot was created, one that was super into video games while being zany, as was the style at the time with gaming web comics like Penny Arcade and Ctrl + Alt + Delete.

Grey hair, red eyes, and devil wings to contrast Ayvee's angel wings, at first unnamed, a poll was created on the AVCon forums to suggest and select a moniker for this new character. No real good suggestion were made (the name Con came up to go with Ayvee to make Ayvee Con, but associating with a con man or Con the fruiterer poured cold water on this idea), and in the end he was named after a piece of networking equipment in a computer lab - Switch.

In the early years web comics were produced staring Ayvee and Switch that centred around current gaming trends or AVCon themes. These comics generally portrayed Switch as an over the top goofball with non sequiturs and one liners, while Ayvee played it straight faced and sarcastic, ever annoyed by her compatriot.

As time went on Switch became less of a goof ball. He got taller, his hair got shorter, and his shape became slightly more barrel chested. He became more of a traditionally handsome, squared jawed character before then gradually becoming skinnier, sleeker, and gaining more of a pretty boy aesthetic.

Stay tuned this week as we walk through Switch's many incarnations before finally seeing how he looks just in time for AVCon's 25th anniversary!

Art by: Connell Wood and Melissa Waterman.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

JOIN THE PARTY! AVCon 2027 STAFF APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
https://t.co/zFzvV5NQS7

Ever wanted to be part of the team that brings Adelaide's biggest anime and gaming convention to life? Now's your chance!

We're looking for passionate and enthusiastic people to join the AVCon 2027 team and help make our 25th anniversary an event to remember!

There's a role for everyone!

Whether you want to help lead the event as a committee member, manage an entire area, or just take responsibility for one small thing, we'd love to hear from you!

No professional experience necessary!

You don't need a background in event management or any special qualifications. We're looking for people with passion, creativity, and enthusiasm.

What does being part of the team involve?

Unlike volunteering just for the event weekend, these roles involve helping plan, organise and build AVCon throughout the year.

The time commitment varies depending on your role. Some people take on major responsibilities, while others contribute to smaller projects or specific tasks. You can find something that suits your skills, interests and availability.

Why join AVCon?

Being part of AVCon is about more than organising a convention. It's an opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills, gain valuable experience, share your ideas and work alongside an amazing community of people who love anime, gaming and pop culture just as much as you do.

Apply now!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Finally, it's time to reveal Ayvee's design for 2027!

Did you know that 2027 marks 25 years of AVCon? That's a whole quarter of a century! Silver is traditionally used for the 25th year milestone, so what better way to celebrate than with a Silver Anniversary theme for AVCon 2027!

For Ayvee's design this year, we wanted to take things back to where it all began, capturing the look and feel of early 2000s anime aesthetics!

While many of Ayvee's original designs featured shorter hair, we decided to keep the longer locks of her modern look (partly to help distinguish her from a certain other pink haired mascot). We have however brought back her classic cheek patches and for the first time in many years, her trademark angel wings!

As for her outfit, with no particular costume to dress her up in this year, we took inspiration from some of her earliest artwork, blending elements of her original outfits with the anime fashion from the turn of the millennium.

We hope you love her new look as much as we do, and that you're getting excited to celebrate 25 years of AVCon with us in 2027!

And we're not done looking back just yet! Keep tuning in to AVCon's socials, because next week we'll be taking a trip through the history of everyone's favourite gamer boy Switch!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Stay tuned tomorrow for her 2027 look!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

It's been a wild ride these past 25 years! But our girl Ayvee has been with us through thick and thin!
Which Ayvee design do you remember? What was she rocking the first year you attended AVCon? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

It's been a wild ride these past 25 years! But our girl Ayvee has been with us through thick and thin!
Which Ayvee design do you remember? What was she rocking the first year you attended AVCon? Which design is your favourite or holds a special place in your heart?
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next 10 years of Ayvee's designs, with her 2027 look coming Friday!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Meet Ayvee, AVCon's OG mascot!

Created for AVCon's very first event back in 2002 by original Vice Convenor and artist Connell Wood, Ayvee has been part of AVCon's story since the very beginning! Her names derives from the event's original name 'AVConnection' which was a play on words for a console or DVD players Audio Video output.

A cool and quirky anime girl with iconic green hair, golden eyes, and a pair of angel wings. Being the mascot for an anime convention, Ayvee is a passionate fan of all things Japan. From anime, manga, cosplay to DDR, Pocky and art, she embodied everything that AVCon was doing to help promote Japanese culture in the Adelaide community.

Originally accompanied by her sarcastic koala confidant, Sprite, Ayvee eventually found a lifelong partner in Switch and became the straight man in their duo, ever annoyed by Switch's outlandish antics. Together, the duo spent the next two decades embarking on yearly adventures across the AVConverse!

But Ayvee's story is far from over!

Tune in to AVCon's socials tomorrow as we take a trip down memory lane, revisiting her many looks and iconic designs over the years, all leading up to the official reveal of Ayvee's 2027 design this Friday!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Tickets on sale NOW!

AVCon and the Woodville Concert Band present: Melodies of Worlds Beyond!

At 7pm on 23 October 2026, experience the music of anime and video games like never before, performed live by the Woodville Concert Band in the magnificent Adelaide Town Hall.

Featuring music from Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokémon, Neon Genesis Evangelion and many more!

Tickets from $20 to our VIP seats with complementary champagne and meet and greet with performers.

Get your tickets - https://t.co/E99PuKx3Hh

Artist: @yaya_yanagi

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

Are you missing AVCon? Did you know AVCon has its own YouTube channel full of content from the weekend?

Head to https://t.co/AYcGxRiRtN to relive all the action including musical performances, Cosplay Competitions, Streamcast Studio, guest panels, Opening/Closing Ceremony, After Dark shows and more!

https://t.co/97cOyhJ3Jh

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

AVCon 2026 is over! We're very proud of what we accomplished, but now we want to hear from you!

Your feedback will help us make AVCon even better next year.

Got 2 minutes? Fill out our post event feedback survey and tell us what you loved, what we can improve, and what you want to see in 2027.

https://t.co/LlYva4kLSO

Let’s build something even better together!

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

We're so excited to announce the official attendance figure for AVCon 2026 weekend is an amazing 20,600!

We have never before seen such a phenomenal response to our event and take it as proof that AVCon is back as the biggest and best event in SA! AVCon 2026 was a record for participation from our amazing fans, artists, businesses, performers, streamers, and communities. We are so thankful for all the love and support we got this year and can't wait to take this momentum into the future.

This is an amazing result for the AVCon team and represents a huge increase over the last three years;

AVCon 2024 - 12,500
AVCon 2025 - 14,900
AVCon 2026 - 20,600

Attendance is a figure used in events to calculate how many entries there were across multiple days and events. It includes all our staff, exhibitors, artists as well as people who bought tickets for just one day, the weekend, and came to After Dark.

[AVCon Anime & Gaming Festival @TeamAVCon_]

A huge congratulations to our Manga Competition winner judged by Jin Chan Yum Wai!!

First Place - Moonsolw and Peabean with their manga 'Medium Rare'

The duo has received a $200 cash prize from AVCon!