Polaris Convention 2026
Hamburg's community convention for gaming, esports, anime and Asian pop culture returns to Hamburg Messe from 9 to 11 October 2026 for its fifth anniversary edition.
Polaris Convention celebrates its fifth anniversary from 9 to 11 October 2026 at Hamburg Messe. The event has grown into one of Germany's biggest community conventions built around gaming, esports, anime, manga and Asian pop culture, with organisers expecting around 55,000 visitors over the three days.
Around 350 exhibitors have confirmed their presence, including Nintendo, and the programme mixes stage shows, gaming tournaments, workshops, cosplay and meet-and-greet sessions with well-known creators from the German-speaking scene. The formula is closer to a festival than a trade fair: you come to play, compete, browse merch and hang out with the community rather than to watch corporate announcements.
For players from Croatia and the wider region, Polaris is a realistic autumn alternative to gamescom - it lands in October, tickets are sold per day (39-45 euros depending on the day), and Hamburg is well connected by direct flights. If your interests sit at the crossover of gaming and anime culture, this is one of the strongest weekends in Europe this autumn. Day tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are on sale through the official site.
Image: Managementboy / CC BY-SA 3.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamburg_city_skyline.jpg