Anime Expo attendees trapped after crush of fans triggered gridlock

nypost.com

Anime Expo attendees found themselves stuck outside the doors Friday after a crush of fans triggered gridlock and jam-packed hallways, forcing organizers to temporarily halt entry into the blockbuster event.

Friday marked the second day of the massive four-day celebration of Japanese pop culture at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

More than 410,000 people attended Anime Expo last year, and Friday’s massive turnout allegedly pushed the venue to capacity, prompting security to briefly stop admitting fans.

Large crowd of attendees at Anime Expo 2026, many in cosplay, gathered at the entrance to the convention.

Huge crowds were present at Anime Expo on Friday X/@shinhoroko

Large crowd of people, many in costumes, at the Anime Expo 2027 in the LA Convention Center.

Anime lovers all flocked to the Convention Center for Anime Expo Instagram/secret.losangeles

“Fire Marshall said Anime Expo is at capacity and they’re not letting us in,” one X user commented.

“Update: after 20 minutes, they let us through,” the user later said.

Photos shared on X and Reddit showed enormous lines snaking outside the convention center while shoulder-to-shoulder crowds packed the hallways inside.

“That is what my fear for AX always is a stampede or crush event. Because they really need more people telling people to move and stuff. Shocked, the firemarshel hasn’t stepped in yet,” one person said.

Anime Expo draws cosplayers from around the world, with fans spending months crafting elaborate costumes inspired by their favorite characters.

Cosplay gatherings featuring characters from “Chainsaw Man” to “Naruto” are scheduled throughout the weekend.

An extremely crowded Anime Expo hall filled with attendees, many in costumes.

Hallways inside the convention center are jam-packed. X/@mutsumimujica

An anime fan dressed in a costume with white hair, black horns, and a black and pink outfit at Anime Expo.

One cosplayer flaunts her costume Xinhua/Shutterstock

Four anime fans pose for photos at Anime Expo 2026.

A group of girls smile as Anime Expo 2026 kicked off on Thursday ZUMAPRESS.com

Police responded to a large late-night crowd outside Anime Expo in Los Angeles.

Police responded to a large late-night crowd outside Anime Expo in Los Angeles. X/@juliusqueezer

The packed scenes came just hours after a large police presence monitored an unofficial late-night gathering of Anime Expo attendees outside the convention center following the event’s opening day.

The Los Angeles Police Department said officers were on hand as part of standard protocol due to the size of the crowd.