News Feed
March 13, 2025
We are excited to offer attendees complimentary shuttle buses between convention hotels and local restaurants and shops again this year. Stops include our supporters KC Craft Ramen and Leone Original Pizza, which is planning to have Japan-inspired specialty pizzas just for Naka-Kon attendees this weekend!
Visit the Shuttle Bus page for a map, schedule, and list of stops.
March 12, 2025
WELCOME TO HI-NAKTANE
The Naka-Kon dance party is back again with a brand new energy! This year we have a double performance featuring Japanese artist and UK Hardcore legend GETTY. Supporting him will be DJ Chef Nyguen, scratch_ xor_sniff and TsundereThots (Idol Thots b2b TsundereBoys).
Get ready for two nights filled with non-stop, high intensity music inspired by Japan's club scene. Wear your best outfits, your best cosplays and party with us all night long!
March 11, 2025
For those Nakama night owls, our screenings schedule is now available. We've got anime running from 3pm on Friday until 4:30pm on Sunday. So if you need a break from the con or just want to watch some anime, head on over to the Sheraton rooms Hawthorne 1 & 2 to catch a show.
March 9, 2025
Naka-Kon is excited to partner with the Kauffman Center of Performing Arts to give away tickets to the upcoming concert, NARUTO: The Symphonic Experience! Please fill out the following form by Thursday, March 13, 2025, for your chance to win a pair of tickets. Winners will be emailed on Friday, March 14, 2025.
March 3, 2025
Nakama, are you ready? March 14th is almost here! The schedule is also ready! Have you snagged your badge yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Grab your badge now
February 25, 2025
Let’s welcome back Luna Flare as host of both of our ticketed Bingo events going live later today! Luna Flare is Kansas City’s favorite "Queen of Cosplay," and has used her talents to entertain local audiences for more than a decade. As a cosplayer, she has won group and solo awards creating costumes that pay tribute to her favorite media and has participated as a subject and producer in the Cosplay documentary film "What We Can Be (@whatwecanbe)" directed by Nick Young.
February 25, 2025
Let’s give a special welcome to Kora Kayyy! She’s tall, blonde, and weaponizes her BFA. She hates slow walkers and loves caesar salads. Kora is a total nerd at heart and is excited to geek out at Naka-Kon!
February 25, 2025
Let’s welcome Freddy Mach Uchawi! Freddy Mac Uchawi is a nonbinary drag artist local to Kansas City who has been performing for just shy of three years! Freddy’s performances are theatrical, engaging, and oftentimes silly. Having toured throughout the Midwest, Freddy is thrilled to venture into the convention circuit with their Naka-Kon debut!
February 24, 2025
Please give a warm welcome to Madison May, head pattern maker at CUT/SEW! Madison founded the company in 2016 with the goal of making cosplaying easier for beginners. With over fifteen years of experience in the costume and fashion industry, Madison has provided patterns to both broadway & off-broadway productions, major US theme parks, international cruise lines, and television.
February 23, 2025
Nakama, want to know when event tickets are coming AND learn about our three brand-new ticketed events? Find out here! Before I tell you about the new events, I know the biggest question on everyone's mind: When do event tickets go on sale?
Most event tickets will be available tomorrow, February 24th, at 1 p.m. CST. This includes VIB Tickets for the Bunny Bar, Ball, Kimodameshi, Lolita Fashion Tea Party, the Maid Café, and our three new workshops!
February 23, 2025
Nakama, what’s even better than being a manga reader? Becoming a Mangaka! (Manga author) Please welcome Misako Rocks! Our latest Japanese guest who’s joining us at Naka-kon 2025.
February 22, 2025
Nakama, here are three more of our returning ticketed events for 2025: Cosplay Brunch & Bingo, Moonlight Cosplay Bingo (18+), and Cos-lesque (18+)! Bingo tickets go on sale Tuesday, and Cos-lesque tickets go on sale Wednesday.
February 21, 2025
Nakama, you might have seen that we're releasing our 2025 ticketed events. Today, we're highlighting five returning favorites: the Kimodameshi, the Maid Café, the Lolita Fashion Tea Party, the Charity Ball, and the Bunny Bar. Tickets for these events go on sale Monday!
Returning fans might already know about these events, but here's a quick recap.
The Kimodameshi is a spooky maze with jump scares and challenges. Explore the maze, defeat the yokai, and escape!
February 17, 2025
We are extremely excited to welcome back Sam Villanueva to Naka-Kon's 20th anniversary event! Sam has been involved in every aspect of game design from concept to completion, with over 25 years of development experience throughout five console generations. He has worked on numerous high-profile franchises including Soul Reaver, Syphon Filter, Resistance, Uncharted and Days Gone as well as titles in the Blade Runner and Marvel universes.
February 14, 2025
Nakama. It's time to board the Ghost Planet spaceship Absolution. Keep an eye out for any loth-rats that might have snuck aboard. The special of the day is bell peppers and beef (we're out of beef). So strap in and join us on this ride bub. Please welcome to Naka-Kon 2025: Steve Blum!
February 5, 2025
Nakama, are you ready to fight for your future in the past or deal with ghosts and aliens? If not, it's time to build those bonds and digivolve with our latest guest, AJ Beckles!
AJ Beckles started his voice-acting journey by voicing "Takemichi Hanagaki" in Tokyo Revengers and "Shiki Tademaru" in Kemono Jihen.
February 3, 2025
Nakama, we've been her fan for years and love to have her at our convention. Please welcome Amelie Belcher to Naka-Kon 2025!
January 31, 2025
Hey there Nakama! I hope you’ve got your training done, for you and your Pokemon, cause we’ve got our next Guest Announcement!
She lends her talents to not just one, not two, but three separate Pokemon legends, Iris of Pokemon Journeys, Nessa of Pokemon: Twilight Wings, and Greta of Pokemon Masters!
She also packs her own punches as hero Mirko from My Hero Academia, and Yoruichi in Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War!
January 30, 2025
Nakama, please welcome Ratty Creations to Naka-Kon 2025. Ratty Creations is a professional artist and graphic designer specializing in original creations and pop culture art. A veteran of over 100 convention appearances, she has a passion for travel, making friends all around the country, and sharing her love of art with convention attendees. A rising star in the furry art community, she brings a welcoming and safe space to every show she attends.
January 27, 2025
We are so excited to announce that Diana Tolin will be joining us again this year! Diana has been an award winning cosplayer and member of the Anime industry for almost 30 years. She loves pop culture as much as she loves Japanese culture and has worked with some of the largest companies and conventions in the world including Marvel Entertainment, Nintendo of America, Square Enix, Aniplex, Anime Expo and World Cosplay Summit.
January 17, 2025
Nakama, cosplay lineup graphics are ready! We have three variants ready to go. So show us what you've got planned! We're excited to see your cosplays, fits, and coords that you're bringing to the con.
Templates are attached to this post.
January 17, 2025
Haven't submitted your fan panel application? The deadline for applications is this Monday, January 20th! Submit your panel application today!
January 16, 2025
Hello, Nakama!
We’re excited to announce Getty as our musical guest for Naka-Kon 2025! Getty is a Japanese music producer/DJ based in Tokyo, Japan. Getty specializes in intense EDM sounds, with a focus on UK Hardcore. His music is featured in many music games such as “CHUNITHM” and “ONGEKI” by SEGA, “SOUND VOLTEX” by KONAMI and “WACCA” by Marvelous. In recent years, he has provided his music to ”D4DJ”, “HOLOLIVE,” “THE IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE!” and many others.
January 14, 2025
Hello, Nakama! We’re excited to announce our first-ever Japanese comedian and DJ guest of honor, BAN BAN BAN! BAN BAN BAN consists of the comedy duo of Hiromi Sameshima and Masatake Yamamoto and is famous for their performance act, Anison Disco. Anison Disco is a fun interactive event open to all ages and fandom, and attendees will be able to enjoy dancing (wotagei) to their favorite anime songs (anison)! On stage, Sameshima-san serves as the DJ, and Yamaoto-san cosplays and impersonates Frieza, the main antagonist of Dragon Ball Z, who is a favorite amongst the fans. Please give BAN BAN BAN a warm welcome to Naka-Kon, and please check out Anison Disco on the main stage!
