About Kotae Expo

What to expect from Kotae Expo? 

Kotae Expo 2025 is an event focusing on Japanese and Korean popular culture, anime and manga, organized by hobbyists for other hobbyists! The event is organised by a group of volunteers, the main organiser being a non-profit organisation, Kotae ry. The event will take place at the Tampere Exhibition and Sports Center on November 22-23, 2025.

Kotae Expo is a place for both newcomers and seasoned enthusiast to meet each other, while also offering interesting program to attend throughout the weekend. The program will consist of lectures and performances as well as a variety of workshops, competitions, dance practices and other program to take part in.  The event’s Vendor Hall, artisans, Artist Alley and Flea Market offer products relating to our theme.

Safety, friendliness and warm-heartedness are the core values of Kotae Expo. We hope that the positive attitude of the organisers is something that can catch on with our volunteers, program organisers, vendors and visitors alike!

In addition to our website, we update our social media accounts with up-to-date information and news realting to our event. You can find us from Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and TikTok!

Opening hours

Evening program on Saturday

The restaurants at the venue

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The meaning of “kotae” 

Kotae is a Japanese word and means an answer or a solution. Kotae Expo aims to bring a solution to the growning demand for conventions and provides an environment where both new and old fans can come together to share their passions and interests. 

Naturally the future might hold different kinds of demands and answers than the ones in question currently, but Kotae Expo wants to be there as part of the solution. 

Why expo and not a con? 

By official meaning, there’s not much of a difference between a convention and an expo. However, as Kotae Expo is organised at Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, it doesn’t quite fit into the same mold as the convention events we’re used to, and this is why we currently resonate more with the term expo. Internationally, events that are organised in similar type of spaces have also been usually called expos. 

Our event has many of the familiar elements of conventions, but we also admit to combining these elements in a slightly different fashion than usual and aim to scale up! 

How do you differ from cons? 

Our event consists of many familiar elements that we’ve seen in conventions, but overall the arrangements might differ slightly from what we’re used to with cons. In particular, we aim to bring more program where everyone can participate in, such as workshops, dancing and the like! Since the lack of space is the least of our worries, we want to offer space for also just hanging out as well as photoshoots. 

Our event space offers the opportunity to plan and execute an event from completely new kind of perspective, so we’re sure to offer all active con-goers something familiar as well as something new!