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.
“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.
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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.
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.
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