October 4-6, 2024
Atlanta, Georgia
DreamHack welcomes all cosplayers from all fandoms. Gaming, anime, books, graphic novels, etc – cosplay is for everyone!
Calling all cosplayers, cosplay curious, and fans of creative crafters! DreamHack has everything to fill your schedule with Cosplay activities. Looking to interact with the cosplay world? Meet our invited guests in the Cosplay Corner, take pictures with themed backdrops, learn more about the crafting world in various panel sessions, and attend the Main Stage competition on Saturday evening!
Are you a cosplayer yourself? All fandoms are welcome to compete in our $3,000 competition, submit and watch panel sessions, apply to be an invited guest, and take advantage of our cosplay amenities.
You don’t have to compete or watch our cosplay competition to enjoy cosplay at DreamHack Atlanta! Meet your favorite cosplay guests and judges. You’ll see them walking around the festival with their amazing outfits. Remember though, cosplay is not consent!
Nikkosplay is a Puertorican cosplayer living in Florida. They have been cosplaying for over 7 years and continuously evolving in their career. Their cosplay genres range from anime, videogames, BL manhwa even live action characters. They enjoy the crafting part of cosplay as well as creating props but they set their focus on modeling, entertainment, Content creation, videography and photography. They love to inspire and share their skills with the world through makeup tutorials, wig styling tutorials and many more educational content any aspiring or experienced cosplayer will need. Their journey has lead them to many opportunities with gaming companies, fashion brands and app developers and they are not shy to share their experiences and knowledge with those who which to follow their cosplayer dreams as someone who has just started living their own! Make sure to follow them on all their socials to see their work and come meet them in person at Dreamhack!
Dark Lady Cosplay is a cosplayer with 16 years under her belt. Having cosplayed from Video Games, Anime, and everything in between~ For the past 5 years she’s dedicated herself to cosplaying Diablo, World Of Warcraft, and other Blizzard Entertainment games, working with people all over the world to help her bring the game she loves so dearly to life. And that dedication didn’t go unnoticed. Dark Lady was honored with being chosen as the featured cosplayer in “World of Warcraft In Real Life” a 3 part documentary series released by Blizzard giving you a glimpse into the lives of people in the WoW community. Along with other partnered content she’s been honored to get to create to promote her favorite games.
She’s a voice as well reminding everyone that cosplay is for everyone and at its core should always be about fun! And encourages everyone to take the dive into cosplaying! Make, commission, buy, thrift, etc to at least once try the experience and enjoy yourself to all the magic cosplay has to offer!
Our head judge, Riki ‘Ridd1e’ LeCotey is a Canadian cosplayer, model, and costume designer based in Atlanta. She is internationally recognized as one of the top cosplayers and has extensive crafting experience as demonstrated by her awards earned on Heroes of Cosplay and features in various cosplay outlets. In addition to her own cosplay work, Ridd1e also specializes in handling specialty costumes on sets for films including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: EndGame, and Godzilla. In her free time, she helps with the rehabilitation of squirrels and encourages everyone to respect their natural habitats. Learn more about what you can do to help here!
Atlanta Cosplayers is a feature page dedicated to sharing local Atlanta cosplayers and those who attend Atlanta conventions. Founded in 2016, Atlanta Cosplayers is run by cosplayers and photographers who have a shared goal of bringing their niche community together and making the cosplay and cosplay photography scene a better place. They also support the local community by sharing information and creating a virtual space for cosplayers to build interpersonal relationships.
Tiara Bree Cosplay, aka My CosBae, is a Cosplayer, Actress, Model and Photographer based in Austin Texas. She loves showcasing her talents with body paint, makeup, hairstyles and original costume designs for her cosplays. Born and raised in Jacksonville Florida, she took up modeling and photography which spread into her love of capturing the true essence of cosplayers and aspiring models who grace her lens. From Mortal Kombat to Star Wars, Tiara Bree’s cosplays range in a wide variety of styles and genres. She even makes props, costumes and body paints other cosplayers and loves to create unique pieces. She’s definitely one to watch!
Tayvix is a full time cosplayer and streamer located in Denver, Colorado. She has worked as a professional in the gaming and cosplay industry for 5 years with 8 years of cosplay behind her. Her specialty revolves around armored cosplays, weathering and fine details within the characters she creates. Her favorite fandoms to create characters from are anime and video games such as The Witcher, Monster Hunter & World of Warcraft. She is extremely grateful to be apart of Dreamhack for the second time this year and share her knowledge and see others amazing hard work in the cosplay and gaming community.
M Blackburn is an Atlanta local non-binary cosplayer, makeup artist, and wig maker with a love of cartoons and anime! They are known for Spider-Gwen, Vash the Stampede, and Eda the Owl Lady. Their focuses in cosplay are over-the-top fluffy wigs, dramatic cartoon makeup, and prop fabrication. M has worked with and for a variety of companies including Arda Wigs, Volpin Props, Mehron Makeup, Redbubble.
BeltlineCosplay is the leading cosplay organization in Atlanta, dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community of cosplayers. We organize a variety of events and activities, such as photoshoots, premieres, parades, and gatherings, to showcase the talent and creativity of our diverse group of members.
Oour impact doesn't stop at Atlanta. We have actively collaborated with and supported other cosplay communities, both locally and nationally. Through workshops, panels, and mentorship programs, we have shared our knowledge and resources to help uplift emerging cosplay organizations. By fostering connections and collaborations, we aim to strengthen the cosplay community as a whole.
We are an organization that not only enriches the local cosplay scene but also actively contributes to the growth and success of cosplay communities nationwide. Together, we celebrate the artistry, passion, and camaraderie that makes cosplay an extraordinary form of self-expression.
The Holiday spirit is in the air! Let’s spread some joy and awesome performances at our Holiday Closet Cosplay Contest. Time to grab that old Santa hat, your Christmas lights and maybe some cookies and milk, revamp your cosplay or put together a whole new one! We are excited to see you.
Friday 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Panels room.
Accepted contestants receive one complimentary 3-day pass and a single-use 50% discount code for their handler. We will accept 30-35 contestants pre-event, and hold 10 spots open for sign-ups on-site. Pre-judging will be on the morning of December 16th in the Cosplay Lounge with the Main Stage show Saturday evening. Participation in both is required to be eligible to place. Placement in the top three of any category also comes with 2x tickets to a future DreamHack event of your choosing (travel not included).
New to competing
1st - $200
2nd - $100
3rd - $50
Place top 5 in 1-3 competitions
1st - $400
2nd - $300
3rd - $150
Place top 5 in 4+ competitions
1st - $1,000
2nd - $500
3rd - $300
If you have not competed before, you may enter any tier you would like, and judges, reserve the right to move you to a different tier based on your experience and skill. If you are a seasoned competitor, you must enter the tier that represents your previous experience.
(5) | (4) | (3) | (2) | (1) | |
Craftsmanship (40 / 30 / 20) Overall cosplay execution and creativity. | Clean stitching, use of highlighting and shadows, clean wig styling, smooth armor edges, finishing techniques etc. | Most details are clean and finished, one technique/element less polished. | Details are present, but finishing touches are missing. Seams may be unfinished, rough armor edges, no shadows/highlights etc | Minimal details, techniques are mostly poorly executed, cosplay not entirely finished | No details, techniques are poorly executed, cosplay is unfinished |
Technical Difficulty (40 / 30 / 20) Level of complexity of the cosplay selected. Variety of techniques used. Purchased items only count against you if no transformation has been done. | Cosplay uses 3 or more main materials, 3 or more techniques used AND less than 10% purchased. | Cosplay uses 2-3 main materials, and 2-3 different techniques AND less than 20% purchased. | Cosplay uses 1-2 materials and 1-2 different techniques OR 30-40% purchased. | Cosplay sticks to a couple basic techniques OR 40 – 50% purchased. | Cosplay relies on a single technique OR more than 50% is purchased. |
Accuracy (10 / 10 / 10) How closely does the cosplay represent the source? This can be screen accuracy or creative embellishment/adaptation. | Accurate base cosplay, all relevant props, wigs, contacts etc included. | Accurate base cosplay. Missing one important element (prop, wig styling, texture/color, body paint, detailing) | Mostly accurate. Missing 2-3 important details such as a major prop, patterns, accurate body paint | Minimal resemblance to the character, maybe has correct colors or styling but is missing major design elements | Minimal resemblance to character and/or spirit of the character. |
Character Embodiment (5 / 10 / 20) Spirit of the character, knowledge and passion | Cosplayer knows character backstory and presence, bonus for knowing key phrases. | —- | Cosplayer has a general idea of the character, but no deep knowledge. | —- | Cosplayer does not know much about the character outside of the general design. |
Stage Presence (5 /10 / 10) Confidence, presence, “star power” associated with the character and cosplay | Cosplayer is confident and can act out different character poses/voice lines. Has good energy. | Cosplayer is confident with poses ready. | Cosplayer knows a few poses or voice lines, but is shy with them. | Cosplayer has minimal stage presence, maybe has a pose or voice line ready | Cosplayer had minimal stage presence |
The judges have the right to change contestants’ tiers at any point based on contestant experience and cosplay presented. Numbers in parentheses by each category represent the percentage of each category that goes towards contestants’ final scores for each tier. For example, craftsmanship will be 40% for the expert tier, 30% artisan, and 20% of the novice score.
Join us at the Main Stage on Saturday evening at 7 pm (time subject to change) to watch the finals of our Cosplay Competition! Looking for more? Stay tuned for our panel schedule! You can also meet invited guests at the Cosplay Corner for the duration of the festival!
Times subject to change as we get closer to the event.
DreamHack welcomes all signed-up cosplayers to enjoy our festival 24/7; from Friday at 10:00am, until Sunday at 7pm, when the festival closes. To be eligible for a free Cosplay Pass you have to participate in the Cosplay Competition.
We know day-one registration can sometimes have a bit of a line, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do in a cosplay. Our crew will be on the lookout for attendees actively in cosplay and will be there to help you skip the line. Yes, your handler can jump the line with you.
Take the wig off, grab a snack, and relax in our cosplay lounge – exclusive to cosplayers
and their handlers. You’re welcome to hang out, take advantage of our dressing rooms, and get some peace from the bustle of a con during the event. Plus, you’ll have access to various repair supplies and a basic photography set up.
We have tape, we have paint, we have glue guns galore and more! The cosplay repair station is an ever growing and changing repair kit that we add to every event, providing a quick and easy way to touch up your cosplay and repair unforeseen complications on the go! Stop by the cosplay lounge any time during main convention hours and our staff will do their best to help.
Lights, camera, action! Meet your favorite Cosplayers, grab a picture, and learn more about their craft. Cosplay Guests will be invited to exhibit with us at the show – sell prints, hop up on stage for fun activities, and have a chance to meet your fans in your own space. Interested in being a guest? Let us know!
We have a zero tolerance policy for harassment and have taken extra time to train our volunteers and security personnel to make sure you have a safe and fun convention experience. Cosplay is not consent and we support a see something, say something policy. Please feel free to report any issues at any time to our staff, crew, and/or security.
Cosplay props will be subject to a security check and may be zip-tied to mark that the prop is safe and has been checked. Edged weapons, blunt force weapons, functioning projectile weapons (guns, bows, airsoft, pellet/bb, blow gun etc) are NOT allowed. Admission is subject to security’s approval, however we will aim to have cosplay knowledgeable volunteers and staff there to assist if there are any questions.
We will be releasing more information at a later moment.
Atlanta Cosplayers is a feature page dedicated to sharing local Atlanta cosplayers and those who attend Atlanta conventions. Founded in 2016, Atlanta Cosplayers is run by cosplayers and photographers who have a shared goal of bringing their niche community together and making the cosplay and cosplay photography scene a better place.
They also support the local community by sharing information and creating a virtual space for cosplayers to build interpersonal relationships.
