Anime Expo 2026 looks set to be one of the most trailer-packed conventions in years. It runs from July 2 to 5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and this year’s event has drawn an unusually heavy lineup of major studios and streaming platforms. Everyone wants a piece of the spotlight. If you’re planning your schedule ahead of time, knowing which panels are most likely to debut new footage can make all the difference. You either catch a big reveal live or end up seeing the clip on social media an hour later.
Why This Year Feels Different
The scale of confirmed participation at AX 2026 stands out right away. Crunchyroll, MAPPA, Toei Animation, and several international co-production studios have all signalled a major presence at the event. The official AX 2026 schedule is already live and gets updated regularly, so bookmarking it now is probably the smartest thing you can do before the convention opens on July 2.
There are a few clear reasons this year’s show is getting so much attention. Production delays from the pandemic era created a backlog of high-profile projects, and many of those titles are finally nearing the finish line. Streaming competition has also become much more intense, which makes convention premieres a valuable marketing weapon. On top of that, anime’s audience has grown far beyond its older niche. A trailer drop at a convention now has the kind of commercial impact that used to be reserved for major Hollywood campaigns.
The 12 Panels and Premieres Worth Prioritising
Based on confirmed studio attendance and the way these companies have handled past AX appearances, these are the sessions with the best chance of delivering meaningful trailer reveals:
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Anticipation around the theatrical arc is already huge, and a new trailer at AX 2026 feels very likely.
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 continuation – MAPPA has a strong track record of bringing major footage to its convention panels.
- One Piece – Toei has consistently used AX as a timing point for international trailer releases.
- Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters Special – Retrospective material and compilation announcements seem like a realistic fit here.
- Dungeon Meshi Season 2 – Studio Trigger’s growing AX presence makes an announcement easy to imagine.
- Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 – Madhouse has confirmed attendance, and sequel momentum is clearly on its side.
- Chainsaw Man Part 2 – MAPPA’s second major panel slot this year gives this one extra weight.
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – Fans are expecting a completion trailer for the final arc.
- Solo Leveling Season 2 – A-1 Pictures has signalled major streaming partnerships tied to this panel.
- Vinland Saga Season 3 – Wit Studio’s historical drama keeps finding a bigger international audience.
- My Hero Academia: The Final Arc – Bones Inc. usually treats AX as an important stop for major franchise milestones.
- Blue Lock Season 2 – Eight Bit’s football anime has become one of the platform’s strongest performers.
Where to Stream Each Title
Knowing where each series streams matters almost as much as knowing when the panel happens. Most of the titles above are split across Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Disney+, with a smaller number available through Amazon Prime Video and Hidive. Crunchyroll’s Anime Expo 2026 lineup, outlined in their confirmed programming, covers a large share of the list above and shows just how aggressively the platform is approaching this year’s convention.
Crunchyroll has also confirmed its full slate of AX 2026 panels and premieres, and the message is pretty clear. The company is treating AX as its biggest announcement window of the summer. Netflix holds streaming rights for several titles, including Vinland Saga and Blue Lock in certain territories, while Disney+ has picked up select MAPPA titles for European markets.
Digital Entertainment and How Dutch Fans Are Engaging
AX 2026 is not just a North American event anymore. Its reach now extends well beyond the convention floor, and Dutch anime fans are part of that shift. The Netherlands has become one of the faster-growing anime markets in Europe, helped by strong broadband access and a steady rise in interest in Japanese animation since the early 2010s. That wider digital entertainment habit also goes beyond streaming alone. Dutch consumers are increasingly comfortable using international platforms, managing digital subscriptions, and exploring online entertainment services that depend on fast and easy payment options. iDEAL, the Netherlands’ leading bank-transfer payment system, has become the default choice across many of these spaces, including on an iDEAL casino platform where users expect the same smooth checkout experience they get from streaming services. The overlap is simple enough to understand. Whether someone is subscribing to Crunchyroll or topping up an entertainment account elsewhere, Dutch users tend to prefer payment methods that feel instant, familiar, and hassle-free.
Planning Your AX 2026 Schedule
If you cannot attend in person, the good news is that most major panels are usually streamed, clipped, or recapped within hours. Panel recordings, trailer uploads, and official announcements typically reach international viewers the same day through studio YouTube channels and platform social media accounts.
The easiest way to stay on top of everything is to pick the three or four panels from the list above that matter most to you, turn on alerts for the relevant studio accounts, and keep checking the AX 2026 programming schedule for any late additions. Studios sometimes add unannounced sessions in the final 48 hours before the convention opens, and those surprise entries have a history of producing some of the biggest trailer drops of the whole weekend.
AX 2026 arrives at a moment when anime’s global cultural reach is bigger than ever. The panels above look like the best chances to watch that momentum play out in real time.
