The Largest Furry Convention is Changing... | Anthrocon 2025

[@landsverkchristian]

I think a big issue furry cons have with scaling up compared to other fandoms is that Anime and Comic Cons have a bigger focus on panels and scheduled events throughout the weekend helping a lot with dispersing people and making the size more manageable.

[@bluegold1026]

Yeah really. Looking at SDCC and NYCC, who have roughly 10x the number of attendees yet I haven't heard any complaints about their registration process, overcrowding, etc.

[@landsverkchristian]

@@bluegold1026 yeah like Anime Central is in the same venue that MFF is in has multiple times the amount of attendees but space doesn’t seam to be an issue

[@SilverStarStrike]

Most of the changes sound good though I am worried about not being able to participate in the parade. I made my own partial and I am very proud of it. On top of that, it takes place in my birthday month so I want to do everything I can to make the con great. It’s been pretty much on my bucket list.

[@valentinesapphire805]

Saw people talking about how poodling shouldn't be allowed in the parade... selfishly this wouldn't be a problem, but then my good friends without full suits wouldn't be able to be in it... would be really messed up

[@xBloodxFangx]

What about the people who also can fully fursuit for health issues too? I have diabetes and a few other underlying health issues that make it difficult to not overheat. I cant partial as long as most, but I have been able to do the megaplex parade and its all because I had a tshirt on for extra air flow and breeze.

[@valentinesapphire805]

@@xBloodxFangx to be fair at least wearing a fursuit has always been a requirement, if it wasn't it just would be way to much. I understand that's really frustrating though

[@duckhuntdynasty6562]

It was a roundabout way to get rid of the pup hoods.

[@zombiispillzhizgutz]

I agree, it's also a matter of what is considered "acceptable" (heavy quotes because ALL poodling is okay imo). Like, I have POTS and would not be able to full suit as the heat would most definitely cause me to faint. This also goes for handlers going with in the parade! There are plenty of disabled fursuiters who need to have their handler but also want to be able to go be part of the fursuit parade, ykwim? lol

[@valentinesapphire805]

@ out of the parade sure, unless you're a handler. Other than that there's no issue with pups, they're a huge part of the furry community

[@LightBluly]

Unpopular opinion, no matter how much the cons are trying to fix and improve without any support, it won't work and it will eventually burst. Like what Fin said, the staff and registering are the most common problem in the furry cons and we are now seeing a peak very soon. We all saw what happened to MFF and Anthrocon. Imagine that but 5 years from now. Not to mention the pricing. I know this fandom aggresively HATES sponsorship and companies involved but eventually, they had to. I hate to say it but it's true. I went to anime cons that has over 100k attendees and that has already cause a problem. Imagine that with furcons?

[@KimuraTheCatdragon]

Yup. It's the only way forward I feel like. There's only so long that furry conventions will remain sustainable, and it's already starting to break at the seams.

[@feilkate5892]

I don't think any company would want to support furry conventions

[@LightBluly]

@feilkate5892 I am not sure if this is true but I heard there was a rumor where one company almost sponsored at one of the furcon but it was cancelled due to backlash. It was years ago before this became a problem

[@Derping098]

@@LightBluly I think it was Converse shoes wanted to sponsor a furry con in Brazil, they didnt really care but it was westerners who hated it

[@3amhellbeast]

Honestly, I think it's kinda strange that furries are against this for some of the biggest furry conventions. I get not wanting the smaller or more local cons to not want cooperations getting involved, but when it comes to massive cons like anthrocon and MFF, having a sponsor or two not only can help the convention run smoother and increase resources, but also can help with being able to do more things like focus on raising more donations for the con charity every year.

[@JWmusiccollection]

I was at a smaller furry con that capped their attendance to 1,500. It has since moved to a larger hotel and I think has dropped the cap.

[@LucidShuck]

Furfright apparently did it back when it existed in order to feel like a small con Granted after it became Furpocalypse it removed that limit

[@gabbo13]

Anthrocon is the pilgrimage site for the furries, wether the people say it's mandatory or not. But there's no room for the venue and the hotels surrounded and I kinda get it. I wish to attend a furry convention but I don't want to wait for a lottery to get a room and the badge.

[@Namminamm]

Many conventions have had max attendee caps. NordicFuzzCon 2024 had to close registrations due to too many registrations. Another con Alfurnative (R.I.P.) had a max cap of 200 attendees its first year in 2020.

[@bobua2137]

I bet that when it comes to the parade, they won't be allowing fetish/kink related stuff that still isn't accepted that well in the community to wear during a con, or just won't allow any, knowing that when the parade goes outside there are going to be kids watching it and with the badge thing, I think they could give people an option to send them via email and then have people print them out like other events do

[@reallycreayivenamehere]

Attendance caps are very common, at least in the EU con sphere. CFz sells out every year for years now.

[@goldenwolf8081]

I could tell when uncle Kage was talking about the changes on the anthrocon KZbin channel the hardest change was about the Fursuit parade which imo is maybe the most key element Pittsburgh has with anthrocon. also creating a attendance limit, he said about the attendance, will it be higher than it was this year? Yes but not much more. I say that absolute maximum attendance for anthrocon possible is 18,500 but Kage also said they just couldn’t keep up anymore with the attendance tho they tried very hard. So these changes were inevitable.

[@scheitinjebroek]

The furry fandom is growing really fast, and really hard. When i joined the fandom in 2014, this was not a problem at all. This is going to be a problem for every furry convention, even in Europe. Especially since Europe is not build for such things. And this problem is not limited on furry conventions alone, even comic-cons are struggeling, as well as some fantasy fairs. Its almost impossible to get tickets for the Dutch Comic-con for example. A possible solution in my eyes is to organize more smaller, and intermediate conventions. Just to balance out the load. And put some sort of vouching system in place for bigger conventions. Online conventions could also be a solution.

[@vickypedia1308]

Europe has less big furry cons, so I imagine those few we do have are going to blow out of proportion unless new conventions pop up. I'm lucky to live relatively close to where Eurofurence takes place (haven't gone there yet) but otherwise I don't really know of any conventions in Germany. They exist I'm sure, but I find them hard to find. I imagine Eurofurence is going to have problems like this too if people won't create new furcons.

[@howling-wolf]

I am an introverted person. But I must say, I like cons more than meetups or other small events. Since I am not the most social person, I am happy when I can change the people around me quickly when I don't feel good around them anymore.

[@legallyrequired]

Planning on going to Anthrocon for the first time next summer, also as my first furry convention in general. I really hope these changes won’t effect too much, I’ll already be driving 6hrs to get there with three other people :(

[@K4D3U5-AETURNUM]

Ill be honest, the volunteering thing, especially at larger cons, IS gonna hit a breaking point, i can't see these conventions functioning at such a size, without dedicated, paid staff, and if you want to grow, get a larger place, or organise a new structure, someone is gonna need to shell out some money, taking more for reg, and creating several ways to register, is definitely a decent option, but this probably wouldn't be enough alone, and the thing that bugs me, although i absolutely understand WHY people dislike it, is the hatred of sponsors, it will eventually have to go that direction to keep up, and not fall under, without massively decreasing an aspect of these cons

[@BreckThePanther]

You should have to have some kind of fursuit head to be in a fursuit parade. Furries go overboard with some of their nonsense sometime, like a 400lb hairy guy in a maid outfit with a cardboard box on his head doesn't really do it for me, in fact it's creepy. I go to a furcon because I want to see furries.

[@PansyPops]

It also raises questions about DIY fursuit heads made from those bone masks or raptor/dinosaur masks. I definitely agree with cardboard boxes/masks not being allowed, finding a cut-off for what can or can’t be in the parade will be tough.

[@jessiestar23]

I think this is just something that has to happen. Maybe at some point in the future there will be some huge changes to accommodate the increase in attendees

[@Yonteez]

Think its about time to charge a bigger registration fee and using a portion of that to actually pay their staff cash vs just "stuff". I think they can actually get more volunteers or people to sign up if they get something monetary for their help. Why is furry blowing up the way it is the last few years vs 5-15 years ago?

[@KimuraTheCatdragon]

Imo, I'd rather see a population cap than a cost increase. At least then more people have a chance at getting to go to the con, rather than just the people who can afford the higher prices. And I believe the reason the furry fandom is growing so much nowadays us because social media is becoming an even bigger part of peoples lives than before, which leads people to see things they haven't seen before in the offline world. More people see the furry fandom, more people want to be a part of it. More furry content is then made, then even more people see the fandom and want to be a part of it. An the fandom will continue to grow exponentially.

[@Yonteez]

@KimuratheCatdragon Same here. But there will come a point that even with the cap, the con will bust at the seams and fall apart. We're already seeing that now. Just a matter of time before it spreads

[@dragonmyr]

I've been going to AC since 2011. While it's nice to see the con succeed, the number of friends who are able to make it has been declining each year due to how competitive and spread out things are now. I fear 2025 may be my last year because the con is just too big. My fursuit is also large (big belly brown dragon) and doesn't fit in the shuttles so if getting the Westin, Courtyard, or Drury isn't possible then I won't be able to fursuit (which is most of the reason I go to AC these days).

[@tylerrusnak7736]

Random, but if you were the guy at the vore meets the previous years you were awesome! Keep on being awesome whatever you decide.

[@spear9455]

For my country's fur con, fursuit parade had been removed due to several issues, one of the reasons being too troublesome to transport everyone who wanted to join the parade (the venue and the location of fursuit parade were being held at two different locations)

[@maxcorey8144]

Been to 30 furry cons. Never been to ACC. Last time I went to MFF it was so huge it was overwhelming. I much prefer small cons.

[@Dr_Doctor_Lee]

its very relatable id figure. me, german, able to afford one (1) con in the year, have seen the con i started with outgrowing their con-site within 2 years. mind, it was a medium, i dare to say, small con before that. certainly, con growing is something very exciting. and i hereby say, we hall start to construct our very own con centers. that would make everything just perfect :3

[@bluegold1026]

Gotta wonder how other conventions like San Diego Comic Con do it every year...and they 10x the number of attendees than this year's Anthrocon.

[@woomy256]

Actually, I think because of economic support of external people like sponsors. The way the furry fandom work wouldn’t allow sponsors in, relying solely on volunteering assistants

[@landsverkchristian]

@@bluegold1026 more of a focus on programming makes it easier to control the population the expectation is that a good amount of the people going will be spending time in panel rooms. That’s also why for some of the bigger panel rooms at SDCC and Anime Expo they don’t clear people out in between events because dumping that many people out back in to the general con space would just kinda overwhelm everything

[@birdywren5277]

With the mailing badges thing, just a thought but what if they have mailing ahead of time as an up-charge option? You said it yourself, some people already pay the $20 to not pre-reg so I’m thinking there would be interest? I would be if it meant I could walk into a con when I get there with my badge already in hand. And pickup is free at the con but you have to wait in line being the trade off

[@FinnThePanther]

I think the problem is of time, less of money. Coordinating even a few hundred pre-printed badges can be a hassle when dealing with the mailing system. Plus you have to solve the ID verification issue as well which is probably not easy to do when mailing badges. Otherwise I agree, many people would pay much more than $20 to not wait in line, but the money only goes so far

[@BladeDaProto75]

Well, I know one thing, if the Furry Fandom or Conventions hits the pot, I'm out till it's resolved.

[@strikerights]

Thanks for clearin things up :D, also love your videos 💜

[@RileyCoyote]

Megaplex restricted the reg numbers one year (i think 2021?) but it was temporary and due to covid restrictions in the state.

[@feilkate5892]

It makes me sad any news about how big furcon somewhere. while I live in the area where almost nothing happens

[@AngelBearOH]

The attendance of the last Anthrocon is comparable to the population of a small city. It easily outstrips the population of my hometown, Marietta, OH, which was 13,001 people as of the last Census. I also like to express the con's attendance as a percentage of the capacity of PNC Park. That currently stands at nearly 45%.

[@Actonrf]

I go to local anime conventions and comic cons in the Portland Oregon. Rose city comic con a local had 70,000 attendees in 2019. Anthocon should not be looked at as a local con but an Interantional furry convention equivalent to Dragoncon and anime expo; something you may wat to rethink in your videos. big furcons need to more than places to hang out. Cap will be the wrong way to go and sends the wrong message instead of dealing with growth. If they can the chairman and senior staff needs to resign and find someone who manage growth. Also what the hotel and convention center think about Antrocon capping business growth? I think some ideas as Thursady reg only pick is a good idea. My local anime con dose the same thing (Day Zero) .

[@BrotherBearGer]

NFC in Sweden did so last year by closing registration in december

[@Viggatos]

This is coming from someone who has never been but wants to go desperately. If I were the city I would at this point stepped in. it's clear from even an outside view point how much Pittsburgh benefits and enjoys the con. bringing it to a place like a full of festival that's outside and inside could greatly expand how much space there is and bring even more business to all the people who own restaurants or shops there. As for the Parade I feel like you would need a full or Partial suit. Like those dino masks or normal cosplayers wont cut it.

[@davidellis4084]

2:23 I would check this. I heard Kage say ot would be between the 2023 and 2024 attendence numbers and favor the 2023 level of 15-16,000.

[@nbtm_sh]

all of the aussie cons have attendance caps. i didn’t know it was so normal to not have attendance caps

[@EigenRovak]

Wait hold up, there were people you knew that had a shorter line for on site registration on Thursday? Cause most of the friends i know that had to do on site had to wait between 4 to 6 hours in line

[@FinnThePanther]

Yeah they told me the staff let them through to the shorter on-site line since they had to pay and all that. Maybe it was just that staff member who let them through when they shouldn't have, but it was a whole group that I knew who did that and have done it at other cons before!

[@EigenRovak]

@@FinnThePanther oh no kire and Avery are gonna be pissed hearing this...

[@FinnThePanther]

As long as they don't shoot the messenger 😅

[@EigenRovak]

@@FinnThePanther "Breaking News: Furry KZbinr Finn the Panther has been CANCELED due to revealing registration secrets of Anthrocon."

[@FinnThePanther]

What a sad way to go out... But hey, I had a good run! 😸

[@Kaltag2278]

Uncle Kage knows best

[@artrob42]

I honestly don’t care for anthrocon, the staff there don’t care about the people coming in. They only care about the money and it’s the reason why I’m not going back. I lost a lot of money from them and it’s why I’m sticking to go to other cons instead.

[@utopiandystopia1383]

ah yes, to avoid engaging in the evils of capitalism like sponsors we will.. checks notes.. not pay people for their work. brilliant

[@Maned_X]

I think we’re hitting a point where the bigger/biggest cons need some changes. Be it higher reg, different location, size caps. Take mff, hotels have been an absolute nightmare the past couple years and we don’t even have to talk about food. AC is hitting a hard limit that feels more like a monetary issue. And FWA exploded with growth because it’s in a good location compared to the others. As far as reg goes, why not take the base price from $80 to $120 for a full pass. While yes it sucks having a 50% price increase, most people are planning for months if not a year ahead of time. So the $40 doesn’t really mean that much. And having that 50% bonus would help a lot with the financials. Most of the larger cons that people go to that are multiple times larger cost upwards of $120 anyways. While I get it seeing costs go up, it would go a really long way with also helping to alleviate a lot of the problems with the bigger cons due to the financial factor. Which also helps keep the bigger sponsors out. Unless you can find a way to get sponsors from inside of the community.

[@personalgoogleaccount9694]

Damn, megaplex bout to get busyyyy

[@angelfurry7088]

It’s fun that some big companies can’t sponsor large furry conventions because they’re weird enough… By the way. I know furry community is growing, Conventions need more control and logistic but limiting number of furries who can get to the convention sounds a dangerous idea, limited registration could raise price entrance. I hope all these changes improve the convention’s experience, and won’t abuse customers

[@woylies]

limiting registration isn't a new thing for furry conventions, and i'm surprised that this isnt the norm. there aren't any big cons in my country and are limited by funding and venues. i'm sure that this is the case in any country that isn't the US. the convention closest to where i live was sold out of tickets this year so i missed out on attending

[@flizzycat]

I guess this means that the Furry Fandom, at least in the US, has reached its Late Stage

[@TheNonameHousehold]

Wow, that really what is the biggest con ever huh? 😲🐾💜

[@IorekByrnison086]

This is so cool. Change is good.

[@graysonhusker4366]

First UwU

[@TundraDoesStuff]

Second owo

[@TheSpecterandTheRC]

@@TundraDoesStuff Is this a competition?

[@TundraDoesStuff]

@@TheSpecterandTheRC 🤷‍♂️

[@mihailoaleksic3330]

5th :3

[@vvvxt]

@@TundraDoesStuff that emoji is convoluted

[@Astadyl]

Hey Finn, I love your work, but I do have to correct you on something AC setting a registration limit is not actually a first NordicFuzzCon here in Europe had to close registration due to record attendance last year (can be found on their twitter on the 13th of december 2023 I'm not linking it to not get flagged as spam) They had 100 full con tickets sold on site, as well as 100 single day ticket every day for those who did not register So yeah the AC news is important for sure, but it's a first for American cons, not every con in the world ^^'

[@FinnThePanther]

Was this a preset limit announced before the convention started? I think other cons have reactively closed registration after reaching capacity, but not announcing that number beforehand, unless I'm mistaken

[@Astadyl]

@@FinnThePanther that was reactive you are correct, my bad I guess the number isn't known yet, but it's true it is a first if we look at the "announced before registration opens" angle, sorry to have jumped too quickly on the initial comment