FNDM, Dubai’s fan-run pop culture event, is returning for a second edition with a headline guest: Yuki Matsuoka, the Japanese voice actor behind Orihime Inoue in BLEACH. According to a press release from the organisers, she’s the first Japanese voice actor confirmed for the 2026 show, which runs from 31 October to 1 November at The Concourse Convention Center, Dubai Outlet Mall.
Matsuoka has played Orihime since the original BLEACH anime and continues in the role in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War. The organisers say her career spans more than two decades, with credits that include Ayumu “Osaka” Kasuga in Azumanga Daioh, Aiko Senoo in Ojamajo Doremi, Tsuruya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Alisa Bosconovitch in the Tekken series. That last credit gives the booking some crossover appeal for the gaming crowd as well as anime fans.
What’s on the floor
FNDM is organised by inD and made by the team behind Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC). It covers anime, gaming, collectables, toys, trading cards, K-pop and cosplay, and the 2026 programme leans heavily on participation rather than spectating.
Saturday 31 October features the Cosplay Fusion Competition and the K-Pop Random Play Dance. Sunday 1 November brings the Cosplay Catwalk and Pokémon TCG action, including what the organisers bill as the Largest Pokémon Pack Battle, a shared pack-opening session on the show floor.
There’s also a music element. Dunkin Off Record, described as the evolution of the previously announced FNDM Unplugged, is a new live format featuring local and regional musicians.
The organisers are leaning on MEFCC’s turnout to pitch the second edition. FNDM Show Director Loy Pinheiro said the earlier event drew 60,000 visitors over three days, and that the team is “just getting started”. Pinheiro also name-checked Pokémon, One Piece and Union Arena trading card games among the draws, so card players should expect more than one game on offer.
Tickets
Early Bird tickets have sold out. Standard tickets are on sale from AED 75, and the organisers say prices rise from 31 October, the first day of the show. Tickets and attraction details are on the FNDM Dubai website, and the organisers say more announcements are coming.
How much are FNDM Dubai tickets?
Standard tickets start at AED 75, according to the organisers, with Early Bird tickets already sold out. Prices go up from 31 October, so booking ahead is cheaper than buying at the door.
Is FNDM the same event as MEFCC?
No. FNDM is a separate, fan-focused event from the team behind Middle East Film & Comic Con, with a narrower focus on anime, gaming, trading cards, K-pop and cosplay.
When and where does FNDM take place?
It runs on 31 October and 1 November 2026 at The Concourse Convention Center, Dubai Outlet Mall. The organisers haven’t yet published show hours in the announcement.
