Anime Expo 2026 recently concluded in Los Angeles with more than 422,000 turnstile visits across four sold-out days. Its continued growth reflects the commercial strength of fandoms built around anime, games, character IP, collectibles, cosplay, and live content. From our on-site perspective, that demand becomes visible well before the doors open, as fans arrive early to secure limited merchandise and access high-demand programs.

AGF Korea attracts the same level of commitment in a different market. Held in December, the event draws fans who line up before sunrise in padded winter coats to purchase exclusive products and join popular booth activities. For global publishers considering the Korean market, this AGF Korea 2026 exhibitor guide covers the event’s growth, audience profile, registration schedule, booth costs, and available discounts.

What Is AGF Korea?

AGF, short for Anime x Game Festival, is Korea’s largest official comprehensive event centered on anime and games. It brings together games, animation, webtoons, light novels, virtual creators, merchandise, stage programs, and other forms of character-driven entertainment.

The event connects licensed IP holders, publishers, media companies, merchandise businesses, and highly engaged consumers in one large-scale B2C environment. For international game publishers, AGF provides direct access to Korean fans of anime-style, character-driven, collectible, and live-service titles.

AGF is no longer an event that publishers simply consider attending. Its growth has made it an increasingly important annual consumer touchpoint for companies targeting Korea’s subculture game market.

For a broader overview of the event, read AGF: The Biggest Anime Game Festival in Korea.

AGF Korea’s Growth from 2018 to 2026

AGF began in 2018 with 32,593 visitors and 32 participating companies. Attendance reached 35,970 in 2019 before the event paused during 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When AGF returned in 2022, it attracted 47,774 visitors. Attendance then increased to 65,442 in 2023, 72,081 in 2024, and a record 100,518 in 2025. The official AGF website confirms that the 2025 edition passed the 100,000-visitor mark for the first time.

One reason for the sharp increase in 2025 was the expansion from a two-day weekend event to a three-day Friday-to-Sunday schedule. Organizer planning materials project approximately 120,000 visitors for AGF 2026, which would represent an increase of about 19 percent from 2025.

AGF 2026 will once again run for three days and occupy Halls 1 through 5 of KINTEX Exhibition Center 1. The scale of the event demonstrates how far AGF has moved beyond its early position as a niche gathering. It is now one of the most significant annual offline events for Korea’s anime, game, and character-IP fandom.

Who Attends AGF Korea?

The value of AGF lies not only in the size of its audience, but also in the characteristics of the people attending.

According to the organizer’s 2025 audience analysis, visitors in their twenties represent 60 percent of attendance. People in their thirties account for another 24 percent, meaning that consumers in their twenties and thirties make up 84 percent of the total audience.

The occupational breakdown is similarly notable. Office workers account for 38 percent of visitors, while students represent 37 percent. Together, these groups make up 75 percent of attendance.

Exhibition viewing is the most common reason for attending, followed by purchasing limited-edition merchandise and watching stage programs. Visitors also attend with friends, meet artists and creators, and participate in fan-made goods and cosplay activities.

This audience is prepared to spend time and money on the IPs it follows. Fans often plan their visits around particular booths, products, and stage schedules. Some attend on multiple days, while others line up before sunrise to improve their chances of securing limited items.

The atmosphere differs from that of a conventional game exhibition. Booths are filled with events and merchandise, while cosplay photography lines, fan gatherings, creator activities, and character displays generate continuous movement throughout the venue. AGF is an event that visitors actively complete through participation, purchasing, photography, and sharing.

AGF Korea 2026 Exhibitor Guide: Registration Timeline

Anime X Game Festival 2026 will take place from December 4 to 6, 2026, at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 in Goyang, South Korea. The event will use Halls 1 through 5 and operate from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM each day.

This AGF Korea 2026 exhibitor guide starts with the event schedule because booth planning depends on more than the public show dates. For global publishers, early registration begins in July, while documents and facility applications must be completed before mid-November.

The official exhibitor information confirms the registration dates, payment schedule, early-registration discount, and priority placement benefit.

Early registration is especially relevant at AGF because booth placement can affect visibility and traffic. Entrances, major aisles, stages, and high-demand IP booths influence how visitors move through the exhibition halls.

For more information about placement considerations, see our AGF Korea booth price and location guide.

How Much Does an AGF Korea Booth Cost?

Booth cost is one of the most practical parts of this AGF Korea 2026 exhibitor guide, especially for overseas publishers comparing early registration rates with general registration rates. For custom activations, most exhibitors will use independent exhibition space rather than a prebuilt package.

AGF prices independent exhibition space in 9 m² increments, or about 97 sq ft. The minimum independent space is 36 m², or about 388 sq ft.

During early registration, the rate is KRW 2,000,000 (approximately USD 1,330) per 9 m², or about 97 sq ft. During general registration, the rate increases to KRW 2,200,000 (approximately USD 1,470) for the same area. All official prices exclude VAT.

The minimum early-registration space fee is therefore KRW 8,000,000 (approximately USD 5,330), while the minimum general-registration fee is KRW 8,800,000 (approximately USD 5,870).

Independent booths must be constructed and dismantled by the participating company through a KINTEX-approved contractor. Electricity, internet, audiovisual systems, furniture, graphics, and other facility requirements are ordered separately.

AGF also offers prebuilt standard booths and enclosed storage options. However, independent space is generally the more relevant format for international publishers planning a custom branded environment.

AGF Early Bird Booth Rates

AGF offers discounts for early registration, consecutive participation, and larger exhibition footprints.

The early-registration discount may be combined with either the returning-exhibitor discount or the floor-area discount. The returning-exhibitor and floor-area discounts cannot be combined with each other. The maximum total discount is 30 percent.

AGF calculates these thresholds using its 9 m² space-unit system. The square-meter and square-foot equivalents above are provided to make the requirements easier for international exhibitors to evaluate.

Estimating the Full AGF Booth Budget

The official participation fee covers only part of the total exhibition budget.

A custom AGF presence may also require booth design and construction, electrical and internet services, audiovisual equipment, furniture, staffing, merchandise, storage, logistics, cosplay production, stage content, and on-site management.

Once you have identified the required floor area, use EIDETIC’s Booth Cost Estimator to estimate your AGF booth cost based on the event, participation type, and stand size. The estimate includes projected rental, construction, and operational expenses.

The estimator provides an initial planning range rather than a final quotation. Actual costs will depend on the approved design, technical requirements, program scope, staffing plan, and production schedule.

What to Expect on Site at AGF

AGF visitors do not attend only to browse. They come prepared to experience, purchase, participate, and document the IPs they follow.

Merchandise counters, interactive events, stage schedules, cosplay appearances, and photo opportunities create continuous movement throughout the venue. Some fans return for multiple days, while others arrive before dawn to secure limited products or enter popular activities before capacity is reached.

EIDETIC has planned and operated AGF activations for titles including Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. Our work has included IP-focused environments, participatory events, cosplay production, staff training, crowd operations, and on-site fan communication.

During a previous AGF opening, EIDETIC prepared hand warmers and snacks for fans waiting outside in the December cold. The gesture was operationally simple, but it turned part of the pre-entry wait into a positive brand interaction. We have since seen more participating game brands prepare similar welcome items for early-arriving fans.

The visual impact of the booth remains important, but the full experience begins before visitors enter the space. Small details in communication, waiting, staffing, and hospitality can determine how fans remember the brand after the event.

This AGF Korea 2026 exhibitor guide is designed to help publishers understand not only the dates, booth costs, and registration process, but also the operational details that shape the fan experience on site.

In our next guide, we will look more closely at how publishers can turn a game world into an immersive AGF booth experience.

FAQ About AGF Korea 2026