Comic Con Astana, Central Asia’s largest pop culture festival, has transformed Kazakhstan’s capital, bringing together international actors, cosplay enthusiasts, gamers and artists.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, over the past four days the festival featured hundreds of events across two venues, with Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – best known for playing Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones – among the headline guests.
Central Asia’s biggest pop culture festival
Moving through Alau Ice Palace, which for four days transforms into a colourful parade of cosplay, it’s hard to know where to look. Mythical creatures, anime heroes, comic book characters and original fantasy creations appear around every corner. Most visitors come in costume, while everyone else queues up for photos with them.
This year’s programme includes amateur cosplay competitions for both children and adults, giving newcomers and experienced creators alike a chance to take the stage.
For many, preparing for Comic Con takes months. Twenty-year-old Alina Shcherbakova, spent six months creating her Archangel costume inspired by Biblical mythology. “I saw the picture on the internet and thought, ‘Why not make it?’ It’s my first time competing, so I’d be happy even with third place,” she said.
Nearby, Madina Sembayeva is dressed as Garnet from Steven Universe, a character she says represents self-acceptance. “She’s about accepting yourself and loving yourself,” Sembayeva explained. She made most of the costume herself after spending weeks searching second-hand shops for the right materials.
A few metres away, Azamat Saparbek is making his Comic Con debut as Jean Pierre Polnareff from the cult manga and anime series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. “Last year I only watched the other contestants. This year I decided to take part myself,” he said, adding that he made the entire costume himself.
But for many contestants, the amateur competition is only the beginning. Held at Barys Arena, the International Cosplay Contest offers a record prize pool of 20 million tenge (around €37,000), the largest in the festival’s history. Only 180 contestants earned a place in the competition.
“Applications came from more than 20 countries. Not everyone made it through because the selection process was extremely rigorous,” said Comic Con Astana Executive Producer Natalya Abrashkina.
Comic Con Astana is also becoming a launchpad for original Kazakh creations. Last year, cosplayer Aruzhan Zhunusova first introduced Tengrida at Comic Con Astana. Since then, the character has evolved into its own fantasy universe.
At this year’s festival, the team premiered Tengrida: Cyber Steppe, a three-minute AI-assisted animated film inspired by the culture of the Great Steppe.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Kazakh comeback wishes
One of the biggest crowds gathered around Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who met fans and signed autographs during his first visit to Kazakhstan. Best known for playing Jaime Lannister in the swords and sorcery televsion series Game of Thrones, the Danish actor later spoke to Euronews about his first impressions of the country.
He said he had been welcomed in the most authentic way possible – with a traditional Kazakh sauna experience.
“The good thing about the spa is that it was incredible. The bad thing is that it’s probably ruined every other spa experience for the rest of my life,” he joked.
Reflecting on Game of Thrones, Coster-Waldau said he has never imagined an alternative ending for Jaime Lannister and considers himself fortunate to have been part of a series that people continue to watch years after its finale.
The Emmy-nominated actor is now awaiting the release of his upcoming Netflix film, The Last Mrs. Parrish, directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-starring Jennifer Lopez.
During a separate press conference, he also revealed that he had visited Astana’s Baiterek Monument and made a wish. “I wished that I’d get to come back here again.”
Coster-Waldau was joined by fellow headliners Paul Anderson of Peaky Blinders and One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy and Taz Skylar, alongside internationally recognised cosplayers, comic artists and digital creators from around the world.
While contestants waited for the final cosplay results, the festival continued with gaming tournaments, workshops, concerts and fan meet-and-greets across its two venues.
Five years after its launch, Comic Con Astana has grown from a fan convention into one of Central Asia’s leading pop culture events. Alongside international stars, it is increasingly becoming a platform where Kazakh creators present original projects to global audiences, reflecting the country’s growing creative industry.