Annual Theme, Attendance, History, and more!
Upcoming METROCON Dates!
July 23 – 25, 2027
July 7 – 9, 2028
METROCON is a for fans, by fans anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse!
At METROCON, we strive to bring you the best convention experience possible. We pack three days full of anime, video games, cosplay, comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and more at the Tampa Convention Center every summer, with a focus on our roots – anime and video games.
We work hard every day, all year round, to create unique and exciting experiences for fans in an inclusive and immersive environment. We are always aiming to take METROCON to new and exciting places while ensuring that the sense of family and community never diminishes.
METROCON exists and thrives because of the amazing anime fans from around the world that have made this convention home – we’re grateful every day for the opportunity to put this event on, and we look forward to many more years of METROCON with you!
Every year at METROCON, we choose a “theme” that we use to inspire our events, guests, and the overall vibe of the convention.
YEAR 24 – THE UNSEEN WORLD
The theme for METROCON 2027 is “The Unseen World” – come out from the shadows and into the light to spend an incredible weekend in a community – your community – no matter how unusual your personal brand of high strangeness. Hunt a cryptid, join the secret global organization you’ve always known exists, and uncover mysteries to become the obscure Wikipedia article you deserve to be. We’re focused on stories about the world beneath the veneer, including communities that exist behind the scenes or on the fringes. We want to shine a light on the secret parts of our little convention world that may not always get the focus, and we hope you’ll join us in telling that story! Leave no stone unturned, and question everything – the world is never what it seems.
2003 – The very first METROCON is held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel as Tampa’s first anime-focused fan convention, and a meet-up for members of the early-2000’s forum community, AnimeMetro.com
2004 – The first Anime Human Chess Match is held, signaling METROCON’s move towards entertainment-focused fan events!
2005 – METROCON moves to the Tampa Convention Center, and claims the title of “Florida’s Largest Anime Convention”
2010 – METROCON is acquired by Team Dynamite Productions, the production company founded by long-term core staff members, and ownership changes hands.
2014 – METROCON attendance breaks 10,000 for the first time!
2015 – The first 4-day METROCON is held, as expansion continues to cover over 600,000 square feet of convention space, and 200+ hours of content
2018 – Alex Craddock, long time Director of Operations, assumes the role of CEO and becomes the sole owner of Team Dynamite Productions
2021 – Based on input from fans all over the world, METROCON returns to a three-day event to focus on quality over quantity
2023 – METROCON celebrates their 20th Anniversary, including a record-breaking convention year, and a dedication from the City of Tampa
2026 – After a new record-breaking attendance year with nearly 20,000 attendees, METROCON was recognized with the Meeting the Moment awards from Visit Tampa Bay, for Community Engagement Excellence and Social Inclusion Advocacy