MinamiCon 30
7th - 9th March 2025
@ Novotel Southampton
Thank you, everyone, for a fantastic con. We have successfully raised £2,750 for the British Heart Foundation this year. The yokai spirits have now dispersed, and we await Evolution for MinamiCon 30.
Registration opening ~ July/August 2024
News
Requesting feedback for MinamiCon 29 events
Re-opening registration later this summer for MinamiCon 30
We are now on Discord
About Us
MinamiCon is the longest-running Anime and Japanese culture convention in the UK, entirely run for fans by fans - we are a non-profit organisation staffed by volunteers. Our convention is a 3-day event, kicking off from Friday afternoon and running through to Sunday evening, with a packed schedule of events, workshops, panels, games and other con staples like the Masquerade. The con was founded to promote the cuter side of anime, opening up to be more family-friendly and embracing the MinamiCon Fairy as our mascot. Each year, we centre the convention around a theme. The theme for MinamiCon 30 is
Membership Ticket
£70 for full 3-days membership
T-shirt
£12 for a themed con T-shirt
Highlights
We hold our MinamiCon Matsuri on Friday - our take on a Japanese festival. Saturday ramps up to more high-energy staples such as the masquerade and karaoke, while Sunday is chilled with the Cosplay Café and Kotatsu Lounge.
Shopping
Our Dealers' Room houses a mix of dealers with commercial companies alongside fan artists, where you can buy merchandise, DVDs, model kits, Japanese snacks and drinks and custom artwork. If you're looking for a bargain or to de-clutter your home from unwanted items, there's the jammed-full Bring & Buy. There's also the charity auction, where you may find some unique items for sale.
Panels/Workshops
We have a variety of panels and workshops such as Gundam Speed Building, cooking lessons, sake tasting, art and cosplay workshops – and we aim to have a mix where everyone will find something to interest them. In fact, the most common problem is having too many things to do!
Games
The Tokonatsu team does an amazing job of running our games room bringing in actual games machines along with quite a few consoles. You'll find the games room next door in the ibis Hotel just opposite the entrance of the Novotel Hotel. All throughout the weekend we also have plenty of quizzes and mysterious puzzles for you to participate in.
Our Charity Initiatives
We have also year on year raised an incredible amount of money for charity through our fund-raising events. Our con charity is the British Heart Foundation, in memory of our treasurer, Ewan Chrystal. We raised a total of £2,750 at MinamiCon 29 thanks to the generosity of our con-goers.
Where
Home to the convention since MinamiCon 3, the Novotel Hotel is within walking distance of Southampton Central train station.
You will find most of the event rooms located on the ground floor and the 5th floor of the hotel. The Games Room, is located at the ibis Hotel, near the entrance of the Novotel Hotel.
Participate
Membership Pick-Up at the Con
Show your proof of identity and collect your membership badge and con pack from the Registration Desk located at the foyer of the Novotel. The Registration Desk will be open from 12pm-5pm Friday. If you arrive on Friday and the Registration Desk is no longer in the foyer, please head down the hallway on the left (past the bar) towards the Minami Matsuri, where you will find the desk has moved. If you arrive after the Registration Desk is closed, head up to Ops on the 5th floor instead.
The following lists the forms of ID that will be accepted:
- A valid passport
- A current full/provisional driving license
- Credit/Debit Card
- Citizen Card
- Official Student or College Card
- ProveIT Age Card
- A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- Recent bank statement showing your con registration address
- Recent utility/council bills showing your con registration address
- Rent Book
- NHS Medical Card
- Young Persons Railcard
Dealers @ MinamiCon 29
Charming Sushi
Officially licensed collectibles from Japan. Expect Nendoroids, Iciban Kuji and plenty of kawaii merchandise.
Genki Gear
Genki Gear produces original t-shirts that stand out amongst the crowd! We have a number of influences from Japanese culture, Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop games, and science fiction and we add to it a dash of unique humour.
Mad Wizard Studios
Artisan blacksmith, metal worker, fabricator and movie/theatre and LARP prop maker
Studio Chai
Independent artist and designer creating merch and art with a cute, kooky and whimsical flavour