Best Anime Conventions in Miami 2025: Animate Miami, Mizucon, Otakufest, and Florida Supercon Reviews

Introduction: Miami’s Anime Convention Scene in 2025

Anime conventions in Miami are thriving more than ever. Every year, thousands of fans gather across Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and beyond to celebrate cosplay, gaming, panels, and all things anime. In 2025, I attended four of Miami’s biggest conventions: Animate Miami, Mizucon, Otakufest, and Florida Supercon.

Each event brought something different to the table, from massive celebrity guest lists to cozy community vibes. But not all conventions are created equal. After comparing the pros and cons of each, I found one convention that truly stood above the rest. Spoiler: Otakufest is my pick for the best anime convention in Miami this year.

In this guide, I’ll break down my full experiences at each convention so you can decide which ones are worth your time and money.

Animate Miami 2025 Review

Photo Credit: Fantasy Super Cosplay Wrestling

Pros of Animate Miami

• Top-Tier Guests: Strong voice actor lineup with engaging Q&A panels. The Fairly Odd Parents and Aqua Teen Hunger Force panels were my favorites.

• Vendor Hall Variety: Massive dealer’s room with rare anime merchandise. I picked up some Kamen Rider plushies, which are rare to find in person since most fans in the States still associate it with Power Rangers.

• Cosplay Showcase: Some of the most competitive and creative cosplay in Florida.

• Great Miami Location: Surrounded by hotels and restaurants. Casa Juan is the best restaurant nearby, and there’s a Publix close if you want to grab groceries or a Pub sub.

Cons of Animate Miami

• Overcrowding Issues: Navigation and lines became stressful at peak times. Saturday was the worst.

• Panel Delays: Schedule disruptions made it hard to attend multiple events.

• Small Gaming Section: Limited setups for fighting games and no tournaments due to low interest.

Verdict: Animate Miami is full of energy and fandom spirit, but the chaotic crowds and scheduling delays hold it back. A fun perk: they run cosplay wrestling programs all weekend. If you’re into pro wrestling, seeing cosplayers duke it out in the ring is a unique highlight.

Mizucon 2025 Review

Photo Credit: Mizucon

Pros of Mizucon

• Relaxed Atmosphere: Less overwhelming. Hosted at a casino this year, so you could gamble in between panels if you wanted.

• Fan-Driven Panels: Some of the most fun, community-built events. I loved the Just Dance competition (even though I didn’t win) and the Wacky Gauntlet game show panel — a panel with real staying power if more attendees discover it.

• Affordable Tickets: $50 for a full weekend is a steal. Lifetime tickets were offered at $499, though I don’t think they’re worth it.

• Welcoming Cosplay Community: Easier to interact with cosplayers than at bigger cons.

Cons of Mizucon

• Smaller Scale: Limited dealer’s room and fewer events overall. Panel schedules weren’t released until the day of, which hurt planning.

• Low Star Power: The guest list needs balance — ideally two big names for Millennials and two for Gen Z.

• Venue Limitations: Panel rooms felt cramped, and Artist Alley lacked variety. Mizucon should prioritize more local artists in the future.

Verdict: Mizucon is a cozy, community-first convention perfect for casual fans, but it lacks variety and big-name appeal.

Florida Supercon 2025 Review

Photo Credit: Florida Supercon

Pros of Florida Supercon

• Diverse Fandoms: Covers anime, comics, gaming, movies, and more. I even entered the Street Fighter 6 tournament, finishing 3rd out of 15 players and winning a voucher for Supercon 2026.

• Celebrity Lineup: Tom Savini, Dan Green, and Eric Stuart — top-tier guests across anime and pop culture.

• Epic Cosplay Contests: Professional-level cosplay. (Golem cosplayer was robbed, in my opinion.)

• Networking Hub: Best convention for meeting creators and fellow fans.

Cons of Florida Supercon

• Huge Crowds: Hallways and vendor rooms were a traffic nightmare. Arrive early to get breathing room.

• High Costs: Tickets, Lyft rides, and food added up quickly. I even saw a vendor’s car wrecked outside, showing how bad parking can get. Food was mid-tier overall.

• Anime Overshadowed: With so much pop culture, anime often felt secondary.

• Line Fatigue: Long waits were constant.

Verdict: Supercon is Florida’s biggest geek convention, but anime fans may feel drowned out by superheroes and mainstream media.

Otakufest 2025 Review (Best Anime Convention in Miami)

Photo credit: SKYP3R Photography

Pros of Otakufest

Anime-Focused Identity: 100% dedicated to anime culture.

Perfect Size: Big enough for variety but not overwhelming.

Great Guests: Voice actors, cosplayers, and influencers directly connected to anime.

Cosplay Everywhere: Best mix of casual and professional-level cosplay. I’m a guy and I will tell you that the girl cosplayers were top tier and the best looking out of all the conventions I’ve attended this year.

Community Feel: Friendly, approachable vibe despite growing attendance.

Organized Schedule: Panels and events ran smoothly. The dating game panels needs improvement and the guys need to work on their rizz and aura if they want to avoid getting friendzoned by the girl they pick to be their “date”.

Robust Gaming Area: Strong selection for fighting games, rhythm games, and retro titles. This was the first time I entered an offline fighting game tournament; Street Fighter 6 is the only fighting game I play at the moment so it makes sense to put my training to the test. I eliminated someone from the tournament 3-0 but then I got eliminated by a player named Itachislegacy 3-0 who used Blanka which is a bad match up my main Zangief which is fine but I will beat him once we face off again, mark my words.

Cons of Otakufest

Parking Struggles: Tough to find convenient spots. Thankfully I work at a hotel that's close to the convention so parking wasn’t an issue for me.

Food Limitations: On-site food was underwhelming compared to nearby restaurants. The empenada, Pizza, and cheeseburger was okay but it felt I was eating at a school cafeteria

Growing Crowds: Attendance is rising fast, which may lead to future overcrowding. Friday was packed because everyone was trying to get their badge so I hope next year they can send people their badges by mail so that the convention entrance don’t get overcrowded.

Verdict: Otakufest combines the best elements of every Miami anime convention—cosplay, community, gaming, and organization—making it the best anime convention in Miami 2025.

Final Rankings: Miami Anime Conventions 2025

Here’s how I’d rank the four conventions I attended this year:

1. Otakufest 2025 – The best anime convention Miami

2. Animate Miami 2025 – Energetic but overcrowded

3. Florida Supercon 2025 – Massive, but anime feels secondary

4. Mizucon 2025 – Cozy and fun, but too small to compete

Conclusion: Why Otakufest Wins

While all four conventions had their moments, Otakufest clearly stood out as Miami’s best anime convention in 2025. It struck the perfect balance between size, anime focus, cosplay culture, and community connection.

Animate Miami brought the hype, Mizucon brought the intimacy, and Florida Supercon brought the spectacle—but Otakufest managed to bring all those strengths together without the major downsides.

If you’re looking for a convention that celebrates anime in its purest form while still offering plenty of variety and fun, Otakufest should be at the top of your list next year.