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Anthro New England

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Anthro New England
Image
StatusActive
GenreFurry
VenueWestin Boston Seaport District Omni Boston at the Seaport
LocationsBoston, Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2015
Most recent
2026
AttendanceIncrease 7,284 in 2026
Organized byAnthro New England, Inc.
Filing status501(c)(7)
Websiteanthronewengland.com

Anthro New England (ANE) is an annual furry convention held in Boston, Massachusetts. Currently recognized as one of the largest furry conventions in the world,[1] the convention attracts thousands of attendees each year, reaching the latest record attendance of 7,284 in 2026.[‡ 1] The event is currently held in the Seaport District of the city of Boston between two hotels, the Westin Boston Seaport District and the Omni Boston at the Seaport.

Funds raised by the convention are directed toward the selected charity each year[2]. Since 2020, Anthro New England has maintained a three-year rotation cycle for these beneficiaries, which generally consist of an animal focused charity and an LGBTQ+ focused charity[3].

History

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Anthro New England was organized in 2014 with the goal of hosting a furry convention in Greater Boston.[4] The inaugural event was held in 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts with an initial attendance of 757 people. During the first convention, 165 people took part in the fursuit parade.

As the convention grew, it relocated to the Boston Park Plaza in 2018. By that time, ANE had become one of the largest furry conventions in the United States, reaching an attendance of 2,050.[‡ 2] Because the convention is typically held early in the year in January/February, Anthro New England was one of a few furry conventions able to host an in-person gathering in 2020 before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic; the 2021 convention was subsequently held as an online event.[5]

Following the return to in-person gatherings, Anthro New England has seen rapid year-over-year growth in attendance. From 2022 to 2026, attendance has increased by over one thousand each year, solidifying its position among the top ten largest furry conventions globally.[1] To accommodate this growth, the convention relocated to the Westin Boston Seaport District hotel in 2023, and later added additional overflow hotels in 2024.

In April 2026, following a record-breaking year, Anthro New England announced an agreement to expand the conventions footprint for 2027, utilizing both the Westin and the Omni Boston at the Seaport hotel for additional guestrooms and event space.[6]

Locations, attendances, charity donations, and themes by year

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YearLocationAttendanceCharity
donation		Charity[‡ 3] Theme[7]
2015Hyatt Regency Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts757$10,000[‡ 4]Massachusetts Vest-a-Dog The American Revolution: Boston Strong!
2016965$11,000[‡ 5] Sportsball!
20171,384$15,000[‡ 6] For Science!
2018 Hilton Boston Park Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts2,050$21,000[‡ 2] To the Sea!
20192,251$22,500[‡ 7] Attack of the Were-Con!
20202,570$25,700[‡ 8]ALS Foundation, NEADS Service Dogs The Roaring Twenties!
2021In-person event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[‡ 9] ANE: Online!
2022Hilton Boston Park Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts2,530$27,000[‡ 10]NEADS Service Dogs, Youth on Fire Back to the 90's!
2023 Westin Boston Seaport District, Boston, Massachusetts 3,548 $21,000[‡ 1] Trains!
2024 4,482 $30,000[‡ 11] Youth on Fire, Wings of the Dawn It's a Nor'Eastah!
2025 5,761 $40,000[‡ 12] Wings of the Dawn, Queer Scouts A Staggering Case!
2026 7,284[8] $50,000[9] Wings of the Dawn, Queer Scouts It's a Western!
2027 Westin Boston Seaport District &

Omni Boston at the Seaport, Boston, Massachusetts

 TBA TBA Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue, Queer Scouts Sleepytime!

References

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  1. 1 2 "List of in-person furry conventions by attendance". en.wikifur.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "About ANE". Anthro New England. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Our Charities". Anthro New England. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  4. ↑ Rousseau, Morgan (February 26, 2018). "Boston furry convention 2018 bonds anthropomorphic adorers". Metro. Metro International. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Anthro New England: ONLINE". en.wikifur.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Announcement regarding Anthro New England's Venue Spaces for 2027". Bluesky. April 18, 2026. Retrieved April 24, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Anthro New England". en.wikifur.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Anthro New England #ANE2026 - Bluesky post". Bluesky. January 18, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "Post by @ane.boston". Bluesky. January 18, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Primary sources

In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. 1 2 "About ANE". Anthro New England. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. 1 2 @Anthro_NE (February 26, 2018). "ANE Tweet announcing 2018 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ "Our Charities". Anthro New England. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ @Anthro_NE (March 1, 2015). "ANE Tweet announcing 2015 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ @Anthro_NE (January 25, 2016). "ANE Tweet announcing 2016 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ @Anthro_NE (January 22, 2017). "ANE Tweet announcing 2017 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ @Anthro_NE (February 24, 2019). "ANE Tweet announcing 2019 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ @Anthro_NE (February 23, 2020). "ANE Tweet announcing 2020 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ @Anthro_NE (August 24, 2020). "ANE Tweet announcing cancellation of Anthro New England 2021 event" (Tweet). Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Twitter.
  10. ↑ @Anthro_NE (February 20, 2022). "ANE Tweet announcing 2022 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ @Anthro_NE (January 22, 2024). "ANE Tweet announcing 2024 closing numbers" (Tweet). Retrieved January 23, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  12. ↑ "Anthro New England #ANE 2026: "Thank you for all your..."". Bluesky.

Further reading

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