Evangelion celebrates 30 years and surprises with a new short anime by Hideaki Anno

The legendary franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion is preparing to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary with a project that has excited fans around the world. In addition to exhibitions, concerts and unique experiences, organizers have announced a new short anime produced especially to commemorate these three decades of cultural impact. This project returns with the participation of Hideaki Annooriginal creator of the series, who returns to work directly on an animation after several years.

The work will premiere at a special event in Japan in February 2026, and promises to be one of the most anticipated moments of the celebration

An exclusive short for the anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion

The main piece of the celebration will be a short anime titled Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening. This animation will last approximately 13 minutes. In addition, it was produced specifically for the festival EVANGELION:30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF GOSPELN.

This three-day event will take place from February 21 to 23, 2026 at the Yokohama Arenaone of the most important venues in Japan. During each day of the festival, the short will be shown once a day on the main screen. That screen will be enormous: approximately 18 meters wide by 15 meters high, offering an impressive visual experience for attendees.

As if that were not enough, the short is a world premiere and can only be seen at the event. Evangelion It has not yet been confirmed whether it will be available outside of that context at some point in the future, such as in theaters, streaming platforms, or physical video releases.

The creative team behind the project

The most exciting thing for many followers is the direct participation of Hideaki Anno. Anno not only supervises, but also plans and writes the script for the short. This is very special news, as it marks his creative return to the franchise actively after works such as Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

Likewise, the direction falls to Naoyuki Asanowho was animation director at Thrice Upon a Time. His return as director in this new short ensures visual and narrative continuity. In addition, several veteran collaborators join the team as supervisors. Among them are Kazuya Tsurumaki, Shinji Higuchi and Ikki Todorokiall with experience in different productions of Evangelion. This brings even more creative weight to the project.

The Evangelion festival and other celebrations

This short is not the only thing that will happen during the anniversary. The event EVANGELION:30+; 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION has been planned as the first official three-day festival of the entire franchise. It will include exhibition areas, interactive experiences, exclusive merchandise and activities for fans of all ages.

For example, the exhibition area EVA EXTRA 30 will have special installations, interactive content and thematic areas that review the history and legacy of Evangelion. For its part, the stage area will offer live concerts, special presentations and screenings of exclusive content.

In addition to the screening of the short, the atmosphere will be full of complementary events. Among them are musical activities, tributes to iconic artists from the franchise, and opportunities for fans to share their enthusiasm and creativity.