The annual KazKon anime, manga, and cosplay convention in Karlsruhe faces strict spatial limitations and an uncertain future following a sudden fee restructuring by the city’s Ordnungs- und Bürgeramt. According to Teresa Terpitz of the organizing group ECKKULTURdörfle e.V., the city informed the association on August 12, 2025, that additional public space usage fees would apply to the event, which took place a month later on September 13, 2025.
Spatial Restrictions at Kronenplatz
According to the organizing team, booths can only be erected in the northern section of Kronenplatz because that specific area does not fall under city ownership, allowing the event to bypass municipal fees. Furthermore, organizers confirmed that only a small stage will be permitted.
Planning for subsequent events remains difficult. According to Terpitz, if organizers must continually anticipate grant reductions alongside unexpected fee demands, financial planning becomes impossible, casting doubt on whether the convention can return in future years.
Fee Reclassifications and Municipal Justifications
In previous years, including 2023 and 2024, setting up information booths at the convention incurred no charges. However, the 2025 notification established a daily rate of 53.20 euros per info stand. While the city’s special usage fee statute exempts charity-run street festivals from such costs, municipal officials determined that the convention qualified as a trade fair rather than a street festival.
Following personal discussions, the city categorized the event as a craft market, lowering the cost to 18 euros per stand per day. Alexandra Krämer of ECKKULTURdörfle e.V. stated that the city faces financial constraints and views street-level events as an additional revenue stream. In response to inquiries, the city administration stated that an administrative oversight in previous years favored the organizers, noting that fee exemptions apply exclusively to booths operated directly by club members whose proceeds benefit the organization.
Because the KazKon features independent artists who apply through the organizers rather than relying solely on internal members, the city applied the standard fee. City officials added that they adjusted the assessment for two specific booths operated directly by club members after receiving feedback.
Intersection of Municipal Fees and Cultural Subsidies
Organizers pointed to a financial paradox regarding municipal support. The cultural office of Karlsruhe provides project-related cultural funding to the association, which roughly equals the total amount now demanded in new street usage fees. According to Terpitz, the city issues a grant with one hand while reclaiming it with the other through fees, compounded by broader budget cuts enacted by the city of Karlsruhe.
City representatives maintained that the administration does not wish to hinder or prevent such gatherings and offered the lowest available fee rate of 18 euros per stand as a compromise. The administration also confirmed that no other local events faced similar reevaluations.
Keep reading