Dragon Ball 40th Anniversary Genkidama Matsuri Event Set for January 2026 with Masako Nozawa and Hiroshi Kitadani

Dragon Ball will celebrate the climax of its 40th anniversary with a massive fan event titled "Dragon Ball Genkidama Matsuri" (Spirit Bomb Festival) on January 25, 2026 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The free admission, invitation-only event follows last year's "Dragon Ball Daima Matsuri" which launched the franchise's 40th anniversary celebrations.

The event will feature two major announcement stages where Masako Nozawa, the voice of protagonist Son Goku, and Executive Producer Akio Ino will reveal new developments for the Dragon Ball franchise. The "New Developments Super Announcement! Genkida Stage Part 1" begins at 10:00 AM, followed by "Part 2" at 1:00 PM. Both presentations promise to unveil the future direction of the series.

Hiroshi Kitadani, who has performed numerous Dragon Ball songs throughout the franchise's history, will close out the event with a special live performance at 5:30 PM. The legendary anison artist, best known for "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" from Dragon Ball Z, serves as leader of JAM Project and has established himself as one of anime music's most influential voices.

The event will showcase Dragon Ball's latest content across multiple platforms. A special tournament for the trading card game "Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World" titled "Ultimate Battle EX in Genkidama Matsuri" will take place. Gaming booths will offer hands-on experiences with Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, including the Nintendo Switch 2 version with motion control kamehameha demonstrations, alongside mobile titles Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, Dragon Ball Legends, Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra, and Dragon Ball Super Divers.

The merchandise area will feature displays of the latest figures, capsule toys, Ichiban Kuji lottery items, and prize products. Special announcements regarding the S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball series surpassing 200 figures will be revealed through a collaboration with V Jump magazine. Early sales of exclusive merchandise and 40th anniversary commemorative products featuring original manga artwork will be available, with full merchandise details to be announced at a later date.

The event revealed its official key visual showcasing multiple versions of Goku throughout Dragon Ball's history, including his childhood appearance, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 4, and Super Saiyan Blue forms united in a single illustration.

Entry to Dragon Ball Genkidama Matsuri is completely free but requires winning an invitation lottery. The first lottery application period runs through November 3, 2025, with results announced November 7. A second lottery opens November 7-30, with results on December 4. The event runs from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM, with last entry at 5:00 PM. Three different entry time tickets are available: 9:00 AM entry, 11:00 AM entry, and 1:00 PM entry, each providing access to different stage programming.