Culture Calendar
Comic conventions, Japanese American festivals, and Asian culture events across San Diego County.
San Diego, California
Buddhist Temple of San Diego Obon Odori is Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. at 2929 Market St with food, taiko, Obon Again Store, and Bon Odori at 6:30 p.m.
Image: Visitor7 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
San Diego, California
Japanese Friendship Garden hosts Toro Nagashi August 7–8, 2026 in Balboa Park with daytime festival programming and evening floating lantern ceremonies.
Image: Japanese Friendship Garden
San Diego, California
SAMAFEST, the 39th Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, returns August 22–23, 2026 at Balboa Park with free Filipino music, dance, and arts programming.
Image: SAMAHAN Arts
San Diego, California
Buddhist Temple of San Diego marks its 100th anniversary September 18–21, 2026 with reunion programming, a banquet, O-Chigo parade, and anniversary service.
Past San Diego listings stay live for recaps and next-year bookmarks.
San Diego, California
Comic-Con International runs July 23–26, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center (Preview Night July 22) with comics, anime, film, TV, and gaming panels plus the Exhibit Hall. Attendee badges for 2026 are sold out.
Image: The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek (CC BY 2.0)
Vista, California
Vista Buddhist Temple Obon runs July 25–26, 2026, 2:00–8:00 p.m., at 150 Cedar Rd with Japanese food, taiko, marketplace, cultural workshops, and Bon Odori.
Image: MIKI Yoshihito (CC BY 2.0)
San Diego, California
Natsu Nights: Crafty Cuties Market lands Saturday, July 25, 2026 at San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden with evening vendors, matcha, and $5 upper-garden admission from 5–9 p.m.
Image: Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego
Film, TV, music, and culture coverage from Goldscene. Not just what's on the calendar.
Lists
Five anime that make this week’s San Diego panels land: a modern Gundam on-ramp, My Hero Academia after its true finale, Castle in the Sky for Ghibli’s 40th, Sailor Moon for the Sunday room, and one comfort rewatch for Otakon recovery.
Today's Radar
Lisa's Viva La Lisa run at Caesars Colosseum priced like legacy pop residencies with presales in April 2026 and resale listings starting around $200. Goldscene maps what that sticker shock signals for K-pop fans planning November trips.
Brand Watch
At BTS's sold-out Arirang nights at Stade de France, Jimin wore custom Dior stage looks tied to Jonathan Anderson's menswear, with house PR in the building and President Macron posting the red hoodie Dynamite clip. The ambassador job moved from front row to 92,000-person livestream.
Get Friday's concise edit of Asian entertainment, a finished watch queue, and culture dates worth saving.
