BilibiliWorld 2026 closed on 12 July in Shanghai after attracting 400,000 visitor entries from more than 30 countries and regions across three days, marking a milestone for Asian anime, comics, gaming and novel conventions.
The event spanned 240,000 square metres at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, hosting 170 exhibitors alongside roughly 1,000 itasha-style decorated vehicles and more than 60,000 cosplayers. For the first time, tickets were sold outside mainland China, a move that appears to have driven international attendance.
The influx of overseas travellers was reflected in broader tourism data. International flight bookings to Shanghai climbed 35% year-on-year during the event window, city-wide hotel reservations jumped 126% from the previous month, and bookings within five kilometres of the venue surged 600%, pointing to the convention's growing economic footprint beyond its core fanbase.