A pillar of Australia's anime rave scene, Neko Nation has been curating iconic parties since 2011. Blending cosplay, live performances, gaming, internet culture and high energy music, the event has evolved alongside the fandoms it serves, growing from a small passion project into one of the country's most recognisable anirave brands.
I spoke with founder Craig (@catalystic.pyon) about Neko Nation's unlikely beginnings, its most memorable moments, the challenges of staying relevant in an increasingly crowded scene, and his vision for the future of what he describes as the ultimate cosplay party event.
From underground warehouse raves to sold out cosplay parties, Neko Nation has spent the last fifteen years carving out a unique place within Australia's anime and pop culture community, attracting thousands of attendees and hosting international guests while building a loyal following across the country.
How did Neko Nation start?
I got my start in events in 2004, selling tickets for underground warehouse raves in Perth as soon as I turned 18. Over time, I moved through different roles, including bar management at Big Day Out, but I always wanted to run my own event. I was just waiting for an idea I actually cared about.
That idea clicked in 2009 when I went to Tokyo Electro Invasion in Adelaide and saw acts like Aural Vampire, SiSeN and Gothique Prince Ken. As a big anime and Japanese music fan, I was blown away that something like that existed in Australia. Around the same time, I discovered Mogra in Akihabara and became obsessed with the idea of bringing an anime inspired club experience to Australia.
By 2010, I realised no one else was going to do it, so I decided to try it myself. I pitched the idea to friends, taught myself to DJ, and launched the first Neko Nation as an unofficial Wai Con afterparty in Perth.
We leaned into everything I loved at the time anime, Japanese rave music, cosplay culture, cats and sushi, even catgirls serving sushi. Beserk came on board early as a sponsor, which made me realise it could actually work.
The first event had around 100 people. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. Within 15 months we expanded nationally and were running an official AVCon afterparty at the Adelaide Convention Centre. That’s when I knew we were onto something.
Favourite guest or collaboration?
It’s hard to pick, but S3RL stands out because I grew up listening to his music, and we later worked together on Neko Nation tracks. Even now, he’s playing massive festivals but still supports our events, which means a lot.
TeddyLoid is probably the most significant. I was a huge fan of his work on Panty & Stocking, and when Me! Me! Me! came out in 2014, I knew I had to bring him to Neko.
With help from SMASH!, we made it happen in 2016 for his first international shows across Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. The Sydney Me! Me! Me! The performance went viral and helped put Neko Nation on the international map. It was a turning point for us.
Ten years later, I’ve come out of “retirement” and ended up working with SMASH and TeddyLoid again for 2026, which feels like a full circle moment.
How has the scene changed since 2011?
The anime and cosplay scene has changed massively. When I was growing up it was niche Sailor Moon, DBZ, Pokémon, then later Evangelion on SBS and small university cons.
Back then, Neko Nation was very hardcore: anime and Japanese music fans only, very underground. But over the 2010s everything exploded with big conventions, Marvel’s rise, streaming platforms, and larger cosplay culture.
That also changed our audience. Cosplayers started discovering club events, ravers got curious, and we began expanding genres into K-pop, internet trends and more.
Now it’s even broader. Fans don’t just engage with Japanese anime anymore, they connect with global fandoms like Genshin Impact, Arcane, Hazbin Hotel and more. Social media also changed everything. Events now have to look good online as much as they feel in person.
Misconceptions about anime rave culture?
Early on, people assumed it was just “weebs in a club,” but that stereotype has faded a lot.
Another misconception is that nightclubs are only for extroverts. In reality, our crowd is very welcoming and community-driven, similar to a convention. People are just happy to meet others who share their interests.
There’s also the idea that it’s nonstop chaos and dancing, but that’s not true either. A lot of attendees don’t stay on the dancefloor. We’ve made a strong effort to include chill spaces, gaming, kandi making, stalls, performances and other activities so people can engage in different ways.
What has been the biggest challenge running Neko Nation?
The biggest challenge now is standing out.
When we started, we were the only event of our kind in Australia. Now there are many. So we can’t rely on history or nostalgia anymore.
We’ve shifted toward making Neko more of a variety experience rather than just an anirave. That means mixing genres like emo, metal, K pop and internet music, alongside cosplay performances and interactive spaces.
The challenge is balancing expectations from the rave scene while also appealing to a much wider cosplay audience. It’s a lot of work, but it’s what makes the event different.
What goes on behind the scenes?
Most people don’t realise events are planned 12 months in advance, almost like a mini convention. It’s effectively a full time job.
The team is also much more professional than people expect. We have legal, safety and compliance experts, including people who run law firms and FIFO safety operations. It’s far beyond typical club event setups.
Creatively, it’s about turning trends into experiences. Not just playing songs, but building moments around them. If something like K pop Demon Hunters or Panty & Stocking is popular, we try to bring it to life with performances, guests and themed elements, not just the soundtrack.
Memorable moment?
The biggest moment has to be the Me! Me! Me! performance with TeddyLoid in Sydney.
A cosplayer pitched the idea of recreating the dance live, and it turned into a full group performance during the show. It ended up going massively viral over 2.3 million views.
That moment changed everything. It showed us people didn’t just want DJs they wanted performance, storytelling and spectacle. After that, Neko Nation grew rapidly across Australia and internationally.
Future of Neko Nation?
We want to keep scaling up bigger productions, more touring, and bringing in major international acts.
We’re also working on expanding into fashion and merch, collaborating with artists and building our own in house designs, especially as anime fashion grows in Australia.
Long term the goal is simple: create experiences people remember and talk about long after the event is over.
Any expansion plans?
We’re running Perth, Sydney and Melbourne this year, with possible returns to Texas. Brisbane and Adelaide are being planned for 2027.
We’re also experimenting with new formats like All Time No Neko, an emo vs anirave event, which has been really successful.
There are more concepts in development too, especially around emerging trends in the US and EU scenes.
If you had to describe Neko Nation in one sentence to someone who has never heard of it, what would you say?
Neko Nation is the ultimate cosplay party event, absolutely like no other that cosplayers have to experience.
Fifteen years after its first event, Neko Nation is still finding new ways to evolve alongside the community that helped build it. Whether through international guests, crazy high energy performances or expanding beyond the traditional weeb rave format, the Neko Nation team's focus remains on creating memorable experiences for fans. In a scene that has grown from a hobby into a mainstream cultural powerhouse, Neko Nation continues to prove why it has remained a staple of Australia's anime and cosplay nightlife for over a decade.
Catch Neko Nation at Smash Sydney 11th of July for its unmissable 15th anniversary performance featuring Teddyloid!
Written by Bella Mavridis
