Manga Barcelona has announced its guests from Japan for this year’s show, and the list is led by horror legend Junji Ito. The event runs from Dec. 5 to Dec. 8 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, and Ito also drew this year’s official poster, as Anime News Network reports.
The manga lineup is deep. Joining Ito are The Apothecary Diaries creator Hyuganatsu, The Seven Knights of the Marronnier Kingdom creator Nao Iwamoto, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat creator Sakaomi Yuzaki, Kinnikuman creators Yudetamago, Takopi’s Original Sin creator Taizan 5, Team Phoenix creator Kenny Ruiz and The Ancient Magus Bride creator Kore Yamazaki.
Anime fans get guests too. Macross creator Shōji Kawamori is coming, along with Macross Frontier animator Risa Ebata, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Bocchi the Rock! director Keiichirō Saitō, and Frieren producer Yuichiro Fukushi.
Music has a strong presence as well, with singers Reol and Lotus Juice, the bands ALI and Nightmare, and music producer and DJ Aiobahn +81. Pokémon Trading Card Game illustrator Oswaldo Kato rounds out the list.
Ito will be busy. According to his official guest page, his schedule includes a podcast appearance on Dec. 5, a talk about anime adaptations of his work on Dec. 6, a Q&A on Dec. 7 and a masterclass on Dec. 8, plus signing sessions at the Planeta Cómic booth. His poster places Barcelona’s Park Güell in his unsettling, colorful style.
Manga Barcelona is one of Europe’s largest manga and anime events. Last year’s show, held in December 2025, hosted guests including manga artist Gou Tanabe, Wind Breaker creator Satoru Nii and Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe.
The show arrives at a reflective moment for manga, days after the death of Ashita no Joe creator Tetsuya Chiba. For fans in Europe, it is a rare chance to see this many top creators under one roof.
