This year’s event is expected to have an economic impact of $42.4 million for the city.

MomoCon, the annual multi-genre, “geek culture” convention celebrating all things cosplay, comics, gaming, anime and music, is back for another exciting weekend at the Georgia World Congress Center, May 22–25 — marking its 20th anniversary in Atlanta.

One of the fastest growing, all-ages conventions in the country, MomoCon welcomed 56,000 guests in 2024. This year, more than 60,000 fans of Japanese anime, American animation, comics and gaming (video games, esports, tabletop, LARP) — from across the U.S. and around the world — are expected to show up and celebrate their passion.

According to the Atlanta Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the four-day event is expected to have an economic impact of $42.2 million in metro Atlanta.

2025 highlights

New this year: The theme for MomoCon 2025 is “90s Retro.” Attendees will find a roller skating rink, expanded arcade and online gaming area and a return of the “Bring Your Own Computer” (BYOC) section.

Returning fan favorites include the Artist Alley, Exhibitor’s Hall, panels, raves and afterparties, the cosplay showcase, Disney singing contest and movie screenings.

There’s also a full schedule of workshops, live performances and appearances from over 150 special guests from across industries.

Featured guests

In fact, one of MomoCon’s biggest draws is the celebrity guests on hand each year for autographs and special sessions. A few of this year’s guests include:

Darryl McDaniels (from RunDMC) — a comic book and children’s book author who has also started a line of cookies.

Shadia Amin — a Colombian cartoonist from Atlanta (SCAD grad) currently working on graphic novels.

Greg Burnham — a comic book writer from Norcross who’s created indie comic hits “Tuskegee Heirs,” “The Search For Sadiqah,” “Little Rock Files” and “The Story of Solace.” His most recent is called “Bridges,” a story of four super-powered girls who band together to save Oakland from a group of evil bio-terrorists.

Brian Stelfreeze — comic book artist and an original member of Atlanta’s famed Gaijin Studios. Stelfreeze has worked with Marvel, DC and 12 Gauge comics on titles that include Batman, The Black Panther and Catwoman.

Daron Nefcy — creator and executive producer of Disney’s “Star vs. the Forces of Evil,” Netflix’s “We the People” and Nick’s “Robot and Monster.”

Reed Shannon — Raleigh, NC-based actor and star of Netflix’s “Arcane.”

Mick Wingert — voice actor whose work has appeared in “Arcane,” “What If?,” and “Kung Fu Panda.”

David Vincent — voice actor and producer who’s worked in animation, anime, video games (Resident Evil, Halo, Tekken, Super Street Fighter) and television (“NCIS,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Mentalist”).

Ryō Horikawa — Japanese voice of Vegeta  in “Dragon Ball Z,” plus roles in “Saint Seiya” (Andromeda Shun); “Detective CONAN” (Hattori Heiji); and “Mobile Suit Gundam”

Chris Sabat — veteran voice actor, director and producer with a résumé that reads like a list of anime’s greatest hits. From the proud Saiyan prince Vegeta and the stoic swordsman Roronoa Zoro to the world’s greatest hero, All Might, and the slightly tipsy Yami from “Black Clover.”

A full list of 2025 celebrity guests can be found here.

MomoCon by the numbers

• Over the years, MomoCon has grown from a 700 person, on-campus gathering to the largest event in the southeastern U.S. for fans of gaming, animation, cosplay, comics and tabletop games.
• Thousands of attendees come out to each year to enjoy gaming, costuming (cosplay), browsing the huge exhibitor’s hall and meeting celebrity voice talent, designers and writers from their favorite shows, games and comics.
• It features the second largest open game hall in the United States. Open non-stop over the weekend, it spans 300,000+ sq. ft. of arcades, esports stages, PC and LAN gaming, console tournaments and freeplay, board and card gaming, RPGs and LARP.
• More than 90,000 square feet is dedicated to tabletop games, board games, card games, role playing games and miniatures. Want to learn a new game? Instructors are on hand to teach the hottest new games (and old games too).
• There’s also 300,000 square feet for celebrity autographs, vendors, workshops and international and indie game developers.

The details

MomoCon runs from 2 p.m. Thursday, May 22 through 5 p.m. Sunday, May 25 at the Georgia World Congress Center (Hall B). Additional events may take place at the nearby Omni Hotel and the Hilton Signia Downtown.

Registration is open now, with four-day or single day passes available. Four-day membership passes are $105 plus fees. Single days range from $50–$65 (kids 9 and under free).

Game tournament registration and separate concert tickets are also available.

Parking is limited in the area, and the GWCC lots do not take same-day reservations, so attendees are encouraged to take MARTA, if possible. The GWCC station is a short walk to the convention center.

You’ll find full details and a schedule of planned events at momocon.com.

After leading Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre through two major renovation projects, a global pandemic and more than 100 productions over 11 years, Managing Director, Mike Schleifer, will leave the Alliance at the end of the year to become the managing director of Lincoln Center Theater in New York.

As managing director of the Alliance, Schleifer oversees all operational, marketing, financial, fundraising and shared services activities. In his new role, Schleifer will oversee LCT’s financial and operational health and ensure long-term sustainability and growth. He will also work to align strategic planning with artistic goals, manage the theater’s union relationships, lead budgeting, marketing and capital planning efforts and identify and develop new revenue opportunities.

“While it’s rare to find a managing director who is equally brilliant at the operational and financial part of the job, it’s simply unheard of to find one who excels on those fronts and leads with such unabashed heart, vision and humor,” said Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses in a joint statement.    

“For the past 11 years, we had the unfathomably good fortune to have all that and more in Mike Schleifer. Mike’s willingness to bet on our mission and invest in the extraordinary talent of the Alliance staff allowed us to realize aspirational dreams we never would have dared to dream without his encouragement and faith. We’ll miss him daily but cannot wait to witness the joy he’ll bring to the Lincoln Center Theater.”

During his tenure

During his tenure with the Alliance, Schleifer led the administrative and producing teams on over 100 productions and moved four shows to Broadway, including last season’s “Water for Elephants” and this season’s “Maybe Happy Ending.”

He spearheaded the $36 million renovation of the award-winning Coca-Cola Stage and is currently leading the $26 million renovation of the Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families. Under his leadership, the Alliance more than doubled its operating budget, tripled its endowment and continued to lead the country in work developed for young audiences. 

“It’s been a true honor and privilege to work, lead and learn at the Alliance Theatre for the last eleven years,” said Schleifer. “I’m deeply grateful to the staff, artists and audiences of the Alliance Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center who have made this journey so rewarding.”

“We’ve achieved remarkable milestones — from moving productions to Broadway to completing transformative capital projects,” he continued. “I’m excited for what’s next, but I won’t be leaving until we cut the ribbon on the new Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families — a project that reflects the Alliance’s deep commitment to the next generation of theatergoers, both with the physical theater space and with the endowment we’re raising to make the work on that stage financially accessible for all.”

Additional roles

In addition to his work at the Alliance, Schleifer serves on the boards of the League of Resident Theatres and True Colors Theatre Company. In 2018 he co-founded Volute Partners, a theatre consultancy focused on capital projects and the subsequent operational support and budgets needed to sustain them.

“We are immensely grateful for Mike’s leadership and tireless dedication to the Alliance Theatre. His vision, passion, and expertise have left an indelible mark on this organization,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Woodruff Arts Center. 

“We take great pride in seeing him step into this well-deserved opportunity, knowing he will make a lasting impact at Lincoln Center Theater.”

New leadership

The leadership of the Woodruff Arts Center, with support from members of the Alliance Theatre Board of Directors, will conduct a national search for the Alliance’s next managing director, led by executive search firm, Corps Team.

“On behalf of the Alliance’s board of directors, we want to thank Mike for more than a decade of service to the Alliance and Atlanta community,” said Kendrick Smith, Alliance Theatre Board of Directors chair. “He oversaw a period of unprecedented growth with a spirit of collaboration and unwavering commitment to the theater’s artistic vision.”

“As we begin the national search for his successor, we remain dedicated to the theater’s mission of expanding hearts and minds, on stage and off.”

About the Alliance Theatre

Founded in 1968, Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theater in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually.  

The Alliance is led by Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses and Managing Director Mike Schleifer and is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education and community engagement. 

In January 2019, the Alliance opened its new, state-of-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre.

Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 140 productions, including eleven that have transferred to Broadway. 

Additionally, the Alliance education department reaches more than 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning.

The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration and excellence and is dedicated to representing Atlanta’s diverse community with the stories they tell, the artists, staff and leadership they employ and the audiences they serve.

For more information, visit alliancetheatre.org.

Encounter mythical creatures in a natural landscape when “Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles” opens March 29.

Immerse yourself in a breathtaking outdoor exhibit that intertwines Mexican cultures and contemporary art when “Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles” opens at Fernbank Museum.

From March 29 to August 3, guests can enter a supernatural world as they walk alongside towering, brightly colored and richly patterned sculptures in the natural landscape of Fernbank’s WildWoods.

Presented in both English and Spanish, this collection of brightly-colored fiberglass sculptures depicts imaginary hybrid animals and offers visitors an unparalleled journey into an imaginative take on the spiritual landscape of southern Mexico’s Indigenous traditions.

Inspiration and legend

In creating “Spirit Guides,” artists Jacobo and María Ángeles were inspired by an ancient Zapotec stone calendar. Indigenous to southern Mexico, Zapotec culture is deeply connected to plants, seasons and animals.

“Spirit Guides” beckons visitors to travel into the spiritual landscape of Mexico’s Indigenous traditions through these animal sculptures that act as both spirit guides and astrological embodiments of human character.

Some of the hybrid animals depicted include a combination of a deer-butterfly or a coyote-fish. These larger-than-life sculptures depict patterns and designs that symbolize different aspects of Zapotec life and culture, such as happiness, fertility and community.

The artists have previously stated that, according to a Zapotec legend, when you are born an animal comes to you to serve as your protector in this world. This animal is your tona, a being that shares your destiny and soul.

Along with your tona, you also have a nahual, which is assigned based on the year of your birth. This spirit animal embodies characteristics that mirror your own personality.

As guests stand before the sculptures in WildWoods — some of which stand nearly 8 feet tall and 9 feet wide — they are made conscious of the profound connection between the natural and cosmological worlds.

About the Artists

Jacobo and María Ángeles are a married artist team based in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Joyful, fanciful and distinctively patterned, the Ángeles’ animal sculptures embrace both contemporary art and folk-art traditions. They employ and teach more than 100 artisans in their workshop, which has created artworks shown in museums around the world.

Exhibit details

By drawing inspiration from the Zapotec calendar and their own imaginations, the Ángeles team sculpted their own mythical creations.

This exhibit features eight towering, vibrant fiberglass sculptures of hybrid animals, intersecting art, mythology and identity. The sculptures were designed through a multi-step process that included conceptual sketches, small wooden renderings and papier mâché molds before casting the fiberglass.

A team of artisans then helped to paint the sculptures with striking colors and intricate geometric patterns inspired by Zapotec and other Indigenous designs, each with their own unique meaning.

Organized by Denver Botanic Gardens, “Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles” is on view from March 29 – August 3, 2025. The exhibit is included with General Admission at Fernbank Museum and is free with CityPASS.

It will also be on view select nights when the museum is open, including during Fernbank After Dark and Fernbank … but Later.

For more information, please visit fernbankmuseum.org.