Recently, three Japanese acts were announced for the upcoming 2026 STRENGTH Japanese Anime Concert Tour, set to take place on 24th January 2026 at the Idea Live Arena. Legendary performers Hiroshi Kitadani, Yoko Takahashi, and FLOW were confirmed as part of the line-up, and fans had already been anticipating that the final two acts would be just as iconic.
It appears their guesses were absolutely correct, as the final artist was announced earlier today (Friday, 5th December) and we couldn’t be more excited. Let’s find out who they are:
From “ONE PIECE” to “Naruto” to “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, the singers behind the iconic tracks of these beloved anime series will soon share the stage, promising fans an unforgettable show. Now, two more legendary performers are joining them. The fourth act, Ayumi Miyazaki, was announced on 3rd December (Tuesday). For those unfamiliar, he is the singer behind “Brave Heart”, the evolution and battle theme for the very first “Digimon Adventure” anime series in 1999.
The icon has also done other tracks for the franchise, including “Break Up!” from “Digimon Adventure 02” and “The Last Element” from “Digimon Frontier”. Those who grew up with the anime will surely have an amazing time rocking out and singing along to these beloved tracks. To make things even more exciting, earlier today, concert organiser iMe Malaysia has finally revealed the final act for the upcoming festival — a performer who sang the opening theme for “Digimon”’s biggest competitor.
That’s right — none other than Rica Matsumoto from “Pokémon”! While the English dub’s “Gotta Catch ’Em All” is well known globally, fans of the original Japanese version will be familiar with Matsumoto’s iconic opening theme, “Mezase Pokémon Master”. Not only is she the artist behind the track, but she is also the voice of the main character, Satoshi (Ash Ketchum in English localisations)! The singer is also the one behind other iconic songs for the beloved anime, including “Minna ga Itakara” from “Pokémon Movie 2” and “OK! 2000” from “Pokémon Movie 3”.
Now that all five acts have been confirmed, it is clear that this anime music festival is set to be an unforgettable celebration, with fans singing along to songs by artists who have been a huge part of their childhood. We, for one, are very much looking forward to it. Who are you most excited to see?
