Neon Genesis Evangelion might not have a new anime adaptation officially announced, but this doesn’t mean that the world of NERV isn’t finding new ways to return to the pop culture world. To help celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the surreal franchise that changed the world of anime, a wild new entry for NERV will arrive in February 2026. While said entry might not be a new anime series and/or movie, it is bringing Shinji and company to the world of live-action in such a way that many anime fans might not have seen it coming.
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To help ring in the event dubbed “Evangelion: 30+; 30th Anniversary of Evangelion,” the franchise is returning to the stage in a mind-bending manner. A Kabuki performance of the original story will arrive as companies Khara and Shochiku team up to add some new flavor to the mech-based anime franchise. Premiering on February 23rd, specifically at the Yokohama Arena, stars Kichitaro Kamimura and Sakon Onoe will be taking on the roles of Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa. For those unfamiliar with the art of “kabuki,” the performance style originated in Japan, focusing on lavish costumes, makeup, and dance moves to help tell its story. Kabuki also features all-male casts, meaning that all female parts are played by men. While we have yet to see what the live-action actors will look like in their roles, the newly shared art might give anime fans a hint.
NERV’s 30th Birthday
This past October, the anime franchise shared a message to celebrate the airing of the first episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, while hinting at what is to come in the 30th anniversary event taking place in February. The message read, “Today, October 4th, 2025, the Evangelion series celebrates the 30th anniversary since the first broadcast of ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion‘ on TV. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the fans who have enjoyed, supported, and loved Evangelion. We will continue to deliver Eva in various forms in the future as well. We sincerely ask for your continued support. Next February, we will hold the series’ very first 30th-anniversary festival event EVANGELION:30+;” at Yokohama Arena. Please look forward to it!”
Besides simply celebrating the anime franchise and performing a kabuki show next year, the franchise also has a special event that is open in Japan as we speak. “All of Evangelion” is a special real-world exhibit that not only has a life-sized EVA unit on display, but said exhibit gathers original art, storyboards, commentary, and more to share the creation of the beloved anime series. As of the writing of this article, there have been no plans to bring this Evangelion exhibit to North America, but we know there would be plenty of NERV enthusiasts in the West who would love to check out this unique presentation.
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