Actor from One Piece and Boiling Point will headline Comic Con Astana

The organizers of the international Comic Con Astana festival announced the name of another headliner. It will be British-Spanish actor Taz Skylar, who gained worldwide fame for his role as Sanji—the cook, martial artist, and one of the key members of the Straw Hat Pirates crew—in Netflix’s live-action series One Piece, based on the cult manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda. Taz Skylar’s portrayal of Sanji has received widespread acclaim among fans of the franchise around the world.

Aside from One Piece, the actor is known for his roles in the film and series Boiling Point directed by Philip Barantini, the action thriller The Cleaner starring Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen, the military drama The Killer’s Team featuring Alexander Skarsgård, and the detective-comedy series Agatha Raisin.

In addition to his acting career, Skylar is a screenwriter, director, and producer, and he actively participates in extreme sports. Taz Skylar is a recipient of the People’s Choice Award for his work on the short film Multi-Facial.

Taz Skylar is expected to perform on the festival’s main stage at Comic Con Astana, answer fans’ questions, and participate in autograph and photo sessions.

The fifth anniversary Comic Con Astana will take place in the capital of Kazakhstan from August 6 to 9, 2026, once again bringing together fans of cinema, TV series, comics, video games, anime, and modern pop culture from around the world.

Previously, Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for his role as Jaime Lannister in the cult series Game of Thrones, was announced as a headliner of Comic Con Astana 2026.

In addition to international movie stars, Comic Con Astana 2026 will feature the world-renowned cosplay duo Kamui Cosplay, as well as popular bloggers and content creators SuperCrastan, Jane Kravitz, Karrambaby, Dobryak, and Dalbek.

As part of Comic Con Astana 2026, the South Korean K-pop group Kandis is also expected to perform. The group represented the Republic of Korea at the international televised vocal competition Silk Way Star in Kazakhstan. During their participation in the project, the group gained widespread popularity for performing the song «Кеш мені» in Korean, which quickly went viral on social media.

In 2026, Comic Con Astana, like the previous year, will take place at two venues simultaneously. The festival’s main stage and headliner meet-and-greets will be held at Barys Arena. At the same time, the Alau Ice Palace will transform into a large-scale exhibition space featuring themed zones, company and partner booths, gaming areas, presentations, interactive activities, and numerous entertainment options for guests.

The international cosplay competition, a traditional element of Comic Con Astana, will once again bring together top participants from various countries. This year, the contest’s prize fund will amount to 20 million tenge, making it one of the largest cosplay tournaments in the region.

Over the years, Comic Con Astana has established itself as the largest modern pop culture festival in Central Asia. Past headliners have included Mads Mikkelsen, Andy Serkis, Pilou Asbæk, Scott Adkins, Esai Morales, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Percy Hynes White, Pierre Spengler, and Alexander Kuznetsov.

Tickets for Comic Con Astana are available on the festival’s official website comicconastana.kz, as well as on the Yandex Afisha platform.

The festival’s partners in 2026 include Yandex Go, Yandex Eats, Kinopoisk, Yandex Afisha, BIGBON, Chupa Chups, and other local and international brands.