Chibi Rouen

ℹ️ Festival discontinued. The Chibi Rouen has not been held since 2024. The partnership between the Swift Events association, organizer of the event, and Rouen Expo Événements, manager of the Parc des Expositions, was not renewed, and the two parties did not reach an agreement allowing the festival to resume in its current form. This page is kept as an archive for this emblematic pop culture event in Normandy.

Japanese and geek culture in the spotlight in Normandy

From 2019 to 2024, Chibi Rouen was much more than a simple convention: a true celebration of Japanese and geek pop culture in the heart of Normandy. Every autumn, the Parc des Expositions de Rouen transformed into a vibrant universe where manga, anime, cosplay, video games, Japanese music, and traditional Japanese culture coexisted in a warm and festive atmosphere.

A varied and immersive program

Chibi Rouen's program revolved around four main thematic poles:

• Cosplay: The grand cosplay contest was the highlight of the convention and attracted participants from all over France, who competed in creativity in reproducing their favorite characters from manga, anime, video games, or films.
• Video Games: A vast gaming area offered tournaments, retro arcade machines, demonstrations of independent games, and competitions on the latest releases.
• Concerts and Stage: Artists and groups performed on the convention stage, featuring J-pop, K-pop, anime opening covers, and original musical performances.
• Exhibitions and Culture: A hall dedicated to traditional Japanese culture offered calligraphy, origami, tea ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, and artistic exhibitions.

Workshops, guests, and signings

Each year, Chibi Rouen invited mangakas, French and Japanese voice actors, illustrators, YouTubers, and personalities from the anime and manga world for conferences, signing sessions, and public meetings. Participatory workshops — manga drawing, cosplay making, Japanese initiation, karaoke — allowed visitors to immerse themselves in Japanese culture.

A reference commercial space

Chibi Rouen's large market brought together dozens of exhibitors offering manga, figurines, goodies, clothing, cosplay accessories, Japanese crafts, prints, jewelry, plush toys, and merchandise from the anime and manga universe.

The end of an adventure

The last documented edition of Chibi Rouen was held in 2023 (September 9 and 10, 2023, at the Parc des Expositions de Rouen), followed by a “Hanami” edition in 2024. In 2024, Rouen Expo Événements decided not to renew the partnership with the organizer, and no agreement allowed the festival to resume. Chibi Rouen thus ceased. Its founder Keyvan Estermann has since launched a new pop culture event, the Mégacité d'Amiens, which takes up the concept in another city.