Toei’s ONE PIECE Fest Demonstrates The U.S. Fan Power Of Anime

The Popularity of ONE PIECE

In Netflix’s own What We Watched report for both halves of 2025, the anime and live-action garnered approximately 75.5M views. After the recent premiere of ONE PIECE: Into the Grand Line, the two live-action seasons garnered a total of 69M views in the first half of 2026.

Between the over 40,000 fans who attended the ONE PIECE Dodgers night and the massive viewership on streaming platforms, Toei Animation is striking while the iron is hot. Originally announced in April, The ONE PIECE Fest excited fans with the prospect of an “All ONE PIECE” concept. There, approximately 7,000 fans would be given time slots to enjoy activations, exclusive merchandise, and the 360 immersive experience.

ONE PIECE Fans Battle For Entry

High demand would be an understatement to describe the anticipation for the two-day event. Fans had to register in order to enter a lottery to even buy a pair of tickets (around $59 each) for one of four sessions. To ensure all would have an equal experience, each session would last about four hours to enjoy the dome experience, the activations, the voice actor panel, and a concert performance by “We Are!” singer Hiroshi Kitadani.

At the event, which tried to account for the brutal August heat, fans could participate in a slew of activities and partake in themed foods. Each area was themed to a different area, such as Dress Rosa and Land of Wano, and had an accompanying photo opportunity at every location. The interactive setups were a perfect place for Straw Hat Pirates to cosplay and reenact fan favorite scenes, such as stepping into Luffy’s shoes when Shanks gave him his straw hat.

Straw Hats Can’t Get Enough of ONE PIECE

Of course, lines were indeed long to get inside and begin exploring the festival grounds. Cosm, the event space hosting the Fest, has a capacity of over 1,500+ people. But the demand exceeded the activity areas both outside and inside the building’s three stories. A paradox of having so much to do but not enough at the same time. To pass the time even while in line for the arcade space or the shops, fans could grab commemorative stamps for their map.

Others lined up to buy exclusive merchandise and browse the vendor area, which included a sneak peek for the upcoming ONE PIECE Mugiwara Store. Although the tent was a small preview of what’s to come at the Westfield Century City mall, attendees couldn’t hold back their fervor for their chance to buy more official merchandise.

Diving Into The World of ONE PIECE’s Elbaph

The star of the entire exhibition was the dome show, which incorporated a literal “larger than life” experience. Because ONE PIECE Day just teased two upcoming films—ONE PIECE FILM GOD VALLEY for 2027 and ONE PIECE FILM BAAD for 2029—Straw Hat Pirates were especially amped to see the dome show.

Starting off with an overwhelming sight of every episode of the ONE PIECE anime, the viewer is then transported onto the Going Merry ship. Enveloping sight and sound, the Cosm’s 87-foot dome sent Straw Hats into the anime’s current Elbaph Arc. After a quick moment in a 3D render of the Owl Library, the audience is dropped at Loki’s feet alongside Luffy, who looks up at the chained giant. Although he doesn’t speak, the sheer contrast in size between the viewers and Loki gives a first-hand perspective through Luffy’s eyes.

The rest of the show is the full drone show held at the Dodger’s Stadium from July 2nd. For Straw Hats that missed the event (and the free promotional card), the dome was a second chance to see it. For a brief twenty minutes, everyone was able to enjoy cosplaying as a Straw Hat in the world of ONE PIECE, whether or not they came in costume.

Despite the jam-packed venue and activities, the event wasn’t without some hiccups despite being held during two weekdays. Early on in the 10AM session on Day 1, vendors were out of popular items, and the ONE PIECE Card Game demo was immediately at capacity. Attendees posted online to vent their frustrations over the long lines to even get through security and inside.

Fans Want More ONE PIECE

As a first-time event, it’s difficult to measure the true demand for sales and freebies. Though, given the massive success of in-person and social media responses, it’s likely Toei Animation may have more ONE PIECE related events in store for the future.

Seeing the popularity of anime merchandise at the biggest comic convention in the U.S., the turnout for ONE PIECE Fest 2026 is no surprise. People yearn for community spaces to share their love and enjoyment of their beloved franchises. During a time when bigger conventions are pricing out anime fans, a $59 ticket for a one-of-a-kind ONE PIECE experience is financially reasonable in comparison.