SacAnime Summer 2026 takes over the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center on Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6, 2026 for the long-running Labor Day-weekend flagship edition of Northern California's largest anime and pop-culture convention. Hosted in downtown Sacramento at 1401 K Street, SacAnime regularly pulls 20,000-plus attendees over the three-day weekend and is the single biggest pop-culture event on the Sacramento calendar — bringing in fans, cosplayers, voice-actor enthusiasts, manga readers, anime collectors, and trading-card players from Sacramento, the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Reno, Tahoe, and across the West Coast. Why this matters for trading-card collectors: SacAnime hosts a massive on-site dealer hall and Artist Alley that includes dedicated Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, and anime-property card vendors, plus tournament space and casual play tables across all three days.
The dealer floor mixes pop-culture and TCG inventory in a way no other Sacramento event does. Trading-card tables stock Pokémon singles and sealed from vintage WOTC Base through modern Scarlet & Violet, deep Japanese-exclusive inventory and Japanese sealed product that's notoriously hard to find at sports-card shows, Magic: The Gathering Commander and Standard staples, Yu-Gi-Oh! singles and sealed product, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, Star Wars Unlimited, Flesh and Blood, Cardfight Vanguard, Weiss Schwarz, and Final Fantasy TCG. Locked cases display PSA, BGS, and CGC graded Pokémon slabs — graded vintage Charizard, Blastoise, and Pikachu inventory in particular shows up heavy at this event. Outside the dedicated TCG area, the dealer hall sprawls into anime figures, manga, art prints, plush, cosplay supplies, video games, and Funko Pops. The Artist Alley fields hundreds of independent artists selling original art, custom cards, prints, charms, and stickers.
Tournament and casual-play programming is one of the underrated draws. The Pokémon TCG room runs casual play, league challenges, and pickup matches across all three days. Magic: The Gathering Commander pods run from open to close. Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece pickup events happen throughout the weekend. Bring decks and sleeves — finding pickup games is effortless.
Doors open Friday September 4 typically from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM PDT, Saturday September 5 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM PDT, and Sunday September 6 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM PDT. Badge pricing varies by tier — single-day badges typically run $35–$50, three-day weekend badges $70–$90, with VIP packages including premium guest access, dedicated lines, and exclusive merchandise. Kids 10 and under are typically admitted free with a paying adult. Buy badges in advance through sacanime.com — Saturday on-site sales routinely sell out.
The SAFE Credit Union Convention Center sits at 1401 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, in the heart of downtown adjacent to the Capitol Mall and four blocks from Golden 1 Center. The hall is climate-controlled, ADA-accessible, and laid out with wide aisles. Paid parking is plentiful in the K Street and J Street garages — arrive early Saturday or use light rail since downtown parking fills fast Labor Day weekend. Downtown Sacramento has hundreds of restaurant options within five minutes.
This convention fits anime fans, cosplayers, TCG players, casual collectors, and serious Pokémon investors. For TCG players specifically: bring trade binders, pull lists, and sleeved decks. Arrive Friday afternoon to scout dealer inventory before Saturday crowds. Follow @sacanime on Instagram and X for guest announcements, panel schedules, and tournament details.