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Comic Market 96 Sets New Summer Record with 730,000 Attendees Across All 4 Days

The Comic Market (Comiket) 96 event in Tokyo drew about 200,000 people on its fourth day on Monday, August 12, bringing the total to 730,000 across all four days. The event broke the attendance record for the summer event, and it marked that first time that a Comiket has attracted more than 700,000 attendees. Comiket 84, the summer event in 2013, held the event's previous record with 590,000 attendees over three days.

The event's first day saw about 160,000 attendees on Friday, the second day saw about 170,000 attendees on Saturday, and the third day drew about 200,000 attendees on Sunday, August 11. Comiket does not have unique passes for visitors, so a person who attends all four days would be counted four times.

Comiket's official website posted on Sunday an advisory on how to guard against heatstroke for attendees of the event's fourth and final day. The post came in response to reports of multiple people suffering from heatstroke on Sunday, the event's third day. The post reminded attendees that the venue was restricting entry for those who have not pre-purchased wristbands for entry into the event. Attendees also reported mismanaged line incidents on Sunday that contributed to attendees having to spend extended periods of time in line under the Sunday heat.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Sunday that 11 people at the event complained of poor health, appearing to have suffered from heatstroke. The Tokyo Fire and Disaster Management Agency took three of those individuals to a hospital via emergency transport. Officials reported no lives were in danger. The temperature on Sunday in Tokyo reached 35.5°C (96°F), with an average of 73.8% humidity from 7:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m., and an average of 53.3% humidity from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Comiket 94 event (held across only three days) attracted about 530,000 attendees in August 2018, and Comiket 92 (also held across three days) attracted about 500,000 attendees in August 2017. The third-day of Comiket 94 attracted 210,000 attendees, tying the all-time one-day attendance record.

Comiket 96 has expanded to a record four days, from August 9 to August 12. The event is also being held across two locations. The organizers of the event have implemented a policy for this event where attendees must purchase a wristband for 500 yen (about US$4.60) to be able to attend the event each day. The wristband color changes daily.

Comiket 97 will run from December 28 to December 31, 2019. Comiket 98 will be held during Golden Week on May 2-5 in 2020 instead of the usual August. The event's usual Tokyo Big Sight venue will serve as the main press center and international broadcasting center for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics from July 24 to August 9, 2020.

Source: The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web