Gundam Franchise Reveals 50th Anniversary Short, Gundam-Con for January 2027
The announcement bundles a physical convention, a museum exhibition, and a statue farewell into a coordinated three-year ramp, signaling that Bandai Namco is treating the 50th anniversary as a live-event-driven franchise milestone rather than a purely media release.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime News Network.
During the Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream on Friday, the franchise announced a slate of projects leading up to its 50th anniversary in 2029. The stream debuted "A Boy With Gundam," a prologue short directed by Tsukuro Hayakawa that follows three generations of fans and features music from PEOPLE 1. A new event called Gundam-Con will take place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from January 9 to 11, 2027, with paid entry passes distributed via lottery. The event will include booths, tournaments, merchandise, and music, with plans to expand to other regions after the Japan run. The unofficial Japan Anniversary Association has designated April 7 as Gundam Day starting in 2027, marking the premiere date of the original 1979 series. The life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba will be removed at the end of August 2026 after receiving updated decals. Additional projects include a remaster of the first television series, a facility called the Gundam Landmark Project, and an expanded collaboration with Hololive Productions featuring Hololive English members. The Tokyo National Museum also plans a 2029 exhibition on creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.
The Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream on Friday laid out a multiyear calendar that stretches from the immediate removal of the Odaiba Unicorn Gundam statue in August 2026 to a Tomino exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in 2029. Between those bookends, the franchise will hold its first dedicated convention, Gundam-Con, at Makuhari Messe on January 9-11, 2027. Entry passes will be sold through a random drawing, and the organizers plan to take the event to other countries after the Japan edition.
The prologue short "A Boy With Gundam" was the only new animation shown. It was directed by Tsukuro Hayakawa and scored by the band PEOPLE 1. The stream also confirmed a remaster project beginning with the original 1979 series and a Gundam Landmark Project described as a large facility in Japan aimed at international fans. The Hololive collaboration, previously teased, now includes Hololive English members and new visuals.
The unofficial Japan Anniversary Association has recognized April 7 as Gundam Day starting in 2027, the 48th anniversary of the original broadcast. The Odaiba Unicorn Gundam, which has stood at Diver City Tokyo since September 2017, will be taken down at the end of August 2026 after receiving finale-version decals.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.