PopCon’s Cosplay Competition is back!

Dress up as a character or element from pop culture, including comics, books, movies, TV, video games, anime/manga or fantasy.

The PopCon Cosplay Competition is low-stress and fun for cosplayers of all experience levels – especially for beginners wanting to build their confidence! Yes, there are awards, but we will be celebrating every single cosplayer who has a go, in a relaxed and supportive environment! We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

If you're not quite ready to be officially judged, there will also be a parade on the day where you can show off your costume with absolutely no pressure!

How do I register?

Select a category "ticket" on this page and complete the questions to secure your spot in the Competition.

How will the competition run?

All contestants are required to sign in upon arrival at PopCon HQ and attend a pre-judging session between 10:30am and 12pm, where the judges will have a look at your costume and talk with you about it. This takes the pressure off of being in front of a crowd later on, which can be quite daunting!

NOTE: If you arrive too late for the pre-judging, you will not be able to be judged and will lose your chances of winning a prize, but can still participate in the competition presentation.

You will be given a time for your pre-judging and information about when to come back for the presentation.

During the presentation from 1:00pm – 2:30pm you will have the opportunity to talk about your costume with the MC and crowd.

What costumes can I wear?

You can wear anything that complies with our Cosplay guidelines and weapons policies. These guidelines and policies must be followed at all times.

If you have bulky props, (Barkly Square has many hallways - if you have big wings on, for example, they may get in the way of or hurt other attendees) you can store them in the props storage room on site until the presentation. It is very important you are aware of your costume’s impact on those around you and you may be disqualified from the competition if you do not follow the rules.

Sonika accepts no responsibility for any injuries you may sustain, and will not accept any dangerous behaviour from cosplayers (swinging weapons around or at people etc).

You can wear bought costumes, but it is preferable that there are some alterations you have made. Purchasing an entire costume from a store with no alterations of your own is not in the spirit of the competition. How much of your costume is bought or made yourself will have an impact on your chances of winning a prize.

If you’re not sure about your costume or props, please get in touch with us at @freezaSonika on Facebook or Instagram.

What will my costume be judged on?

The judges will be looking at:

Construction – how much of your costume is made yourself and its craftsmanship,

Accuracy – how much do you look like what you’re cosplaying as, and

Story – did you learn any special skills for this cosplay, what you’re most proud of, meaning behind your cosplay.

Group entries will also be judged on group cohesion.

They will also be taking into consideration any props.

Prize categories include:

Junior (under 12 years old) - Champ, one runner up
General (12+) - Champ, one runner up
Group - Champ
Audience Choice (decided by the amount of crowd cheering for contestants who didn’t receive a Champ or runner up award)
Judge’s Choice (someone who deserves a special mention)