The comprehensive subculture event Illustrator Fes will hold its tenth festival on February 21st and 22nd, 2026, at Halls 4 and 5 of KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 in Ilsan. Launched in 2023, the event has established itself as a vital platform for the indie game ecosystem, extending beyond the doujin market and cosplay scene.
“Illustrator Play,” a showcase for indie game creators.
Illustrator Fes 10 will feature a Creator Market featuring both amateur and professional creators, along with a variety of content, including a special indie game zone, a cosplay stage, and a random play dance. The Indie Game Zone, in particular, is a unique feature of Illustrator Fes, providing a valuable opportunity for domestic indie game developers to showcase their work.
The 3rd Illustrator Star Festival, in collaboration with the Korea Mobile Game Association, launched a special indie game zone. This was a significant decision, as it offered free participation to developers, a new challenge for Illustrator Star Festival. This decision was significant, as it provided a new platform for indie game developers to directly connect with users and gather feedback.
The 6th and 7th Illustrator Festivals significantly expanded their scale, with a whopping 24 indie game zones. This demonstrates the continued growth in interest and demand for indie games.
Subculture meets gaming, creating new synergy.
The Illustrator Festival seamlessly combines indie games with a doujinshi market selling doujinshi, illustrated books, and albums, offering new experiences for fans of subcultures. As a popular event for anime and manga fans, indie games with a subculture sensibility, such as visual novels, RPGs, and adventure games, are particularly popular.
The indie game showcase “Illustrator Play” is open to companies or individual teams aged 14 and older who are currently or plan to be launching a game. It offers participation to indie game creators whose booths primarily feature game demonstrations. Participants will be provided with basic infrastructure, including on-site internet access and electricity, allowing creators to focus solely on their games.
Subculture festival Illustrator Fes is accepting applications for indie game booths until January 22nd.
Growing Illustrator Festival: Growing Together with the Future of Indie Games
The Illustrator Festival has grown steadily since its inaugural event. Approximately 10,000 people attended the first event, and over 20,000 pre-sale tickets were sold for the second event, bringing the total number of attendees to over 25,000. This growth represents a significant opportunity for indie game developers.
This 10th event will feature an exhibition, performances, and awards ceremony for the illustration and music categories of the 2nd Korea Subculture Contest, as well as the 2nd Illustration Star Con, a specialized subculture conference, providing a glimpse into the present and future of subculture.
A festival created together with participants through collaboration with Tumblbug
Illustrator Fes 10 is attempting something new by collaborating with crowdfunding platform Tumblbug to offer a ticket and merchandise package. Beyond the admission ticket, the event offers a variety of merchandise, including an Illustrator Fes 10 happi coat, Illustrator Friends character dolls, and a pocket accessory package, stimulating attendees’ desire to collect.
As of January 2nd, the event had achieved 70% of its goal, demonstrating high expectations. Tickets and merchandise promotions are available on the Tumblbug page until January 24th.
Go directly to the Tumblbug Illustrator Festival page
A new model for revitalizing the indie game ecosystem
Illustrator Festival 10 is fostering a virtuous cycle where subculture fans and indie game developers thrive together. This festival, where the creative spirit of doujinshi culture and the experimental approach of indie games converge to create new cultural content, is expected to continue to establish itself as a vital platform for the domestic subculture and indie game industries.
In particular, creator-friendly policies, such as booth participation fee support and infrastructure provision, are providing significant support to indie game developers who lack financial resources. This demonstrates that Illustrator Fes is not simply a commercial event driven by profit, but rather a genuine commitment to fostering a subculture ecosystem.
Attention is focused on what creative indie games will appear and what new encounters will take place at Illustrator Festival 10, which will be held at KINTEX in Ilsan from February 21st to 22nd.
