Manga Barcelona has confirmed its 2026 guest list, and the show is leaning hard on manga creators. The convention runs December 5 to 8 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. Organisers also revealed that Junji Ito drew this year's poster.
Who is coming to Manga Barcelona 2026
Eighteen guests from Japan are on the list so far, spread across manga, animation, music and illustration. Ito is the headline name, which is fitting given he also supplied the art for the event itself.
The manga contingent is the deepest part of the lineup. Hyuganatsu, the creator of The Apothecary Diaries, is attending, and the announcement lists his boar companion Uririn alongside him. Nao Iwamoto, who writes The Seven Knights of the Marronnier Kingdom, is also coming, as is Sakaomi Yuzaki of She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat. Yudetamago, the two-man team behind Kinnikuman, will be there too, and so will Taizan 5, the creator of Takopi's Original Sin. Kenny Ruiz, the artist on Team Phoenix, rounds out the cartoonists named. Kore Yamazaki, the author of The Ancient Magus' Bride, is on the list as well.
Animation and music guests
Animation and music fill out the rest. Macross creator Shōji Kawamori is attending, alongside animator Risa Ebata, who worked on Macross F. Keiichirō Saitō, the director of Bocchi the Rock! and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, is confirmed, and so is Frieren producer Yuichiro Fukushi.
On the music side the event has singer Reol, singer Lotus Juice, the bands ALI and Nightmare, and producer and DJ Aiobahn +81. Pokémon Trading Card Game illustrator Oswaldo Kato is the last of the announced names.
Why the lineup is mixed
That mix tells you what Manga Barcelona has turned into. It began as a manga show and now books the people behind the anime and the soundtracks as well, which is roughly how readers actually consume the medium. Someone who buys The Apothecary Diaries is also watching the anime and knows the opening theme.
Dates, signings and what to expect
For anyone planning a trip, the dates matter. December 5 and 6 fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so those two days will carry the crowds. Signings at this event usually run on a timed or ticketed basis, and the individual schedules are normally published closer to the show rather than in the first announcement.
How this compares to last year
Last year's edition, held in December 2025, brought manga artist Gou Tanabe, Wind Breaker creator Satoru Nii, Delicious in Dungeon anime food designer Mao Momiji, Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe, theme song group SEATBELTS, and Aina The End, who sang the opening theme for the second season of DAN DA DAN. The 2026 lineup shifts the balance toward working manga authors, with Iwamoto, Yuzaki, Taizan 5 and Yamazaki all currently publishing.
Why it matters
That is the practical takeaway. Most of these guests have books you can buy in Spanish or English right now, which makes the signing queue less about nostalgia and more about the shelf at home. Ito's back catalogue is easy to find, The Ancient Magus' Bride has been running for over a decade, and Kinnikuman has been in print in one form or another since the 1970s.
And this is a first announcement, not a final one. Events of this size tend to add names in the weeks before the doors open, so treat the eighteen listed guests as the confirmed core rather than the whole programme.
Ticketing and the full schedule are handled through Manga Barcelona's own channels. Expect signing times and any stage events to appear there in the run-up to December 5.
Source: Anime News Network — Manga Barcelona guest lineup announcement
Featured image: Manga Barcelona 2026 poster illustrated by Junji Ito, via Anime News Network.
