cosplay
Your go-to for cosplay
ACTIVITIES
Wigs. Glue guns. Foam scraps covering the hotel room. Last-minute con crunch chaos in the middle of the night. Somehow surviving entirely on Red Bull, determination and passion!
Yeah. This is the place for you
Cosplay Championship
Photographer Program
Cosplay Lounge
Cosplay Meetups
Community Booths
Cosplay Guests
Photo Ops
Walk-up Catwalk
Repair Station
Cosplay Lounge
Cosplay Championship
Cosplay Meetups
Fandom photoshoots, anime gatherings, cosplay groups, and community meetups happen all weekend long at DreamHack.
Community Booths
Cosplay Guests
Photographer Program
Photo Ops
Photo walls, a giant clicky, creator spaces, themed setups, and awesome backdrops everywhere you look. DreamHack is built for cosplay content.
Walk-up Catwalk
Repair Station
Cosplay Ticket
Cosplay takes time, effort, and honestly… a concerning amount of glue, foam, fabric, and Red Bull. That’s why DreamHack offers special discounted cosplay tickets for approved cosplayers, making it easier to bring your builds to the festival and still have some spending money left for the Artist Alley.
Cosplay Is Not Consent
DreamHack is built to be a welcoming, safe, and respectful space for the cosplay community. Always ask before taking photos, recording videos, touching props or costumes, or interacting physically with cosplayers. Behind every build is a real person, and respecting boundaries helps keep the community fun and comfortable for everybody.
CONTEST tiers
There’s a competition tier for every level of cosplay experience, from first-time competitors to seasoned champions, with a total $6,000 prize pool up for grabs. Take a look below to find the tier that best fits your experience and build style.
YOUTH
NOVICE
ARTISAN
This tier is for contestants who have progressed beyond the Novice level but are not yet ready for the Expert tier. Costumes must be self-made, though modified or altered garments are allowed. Winners in the Artisan tier will advance to the Expert tier in their next event.
Expert
Contestants aiming to compete at a higher level must wear self-made costumes—excluding base wigs, shoes, and undergarments—and winners of the Expert category cannot enter Artisan in their next event.
COSPLAY FAQ
Cosplay at DreamHack
The cosplay lounge is located in the T-wing, close to Scandic Talk. This is very close to the VIP entrance to the event.
Yes, we have several dressing rooms available. Women, Men, and Non-binary usually.
If we notice any of these being unused, we may change this around a bit to be able to accommodate as many as possible.
All dressing rooms offer mirrors, seating, tables and places to store cosplays. Be mindful that there will be many cosplayers on-site, so make sure you don’t block the rooms and every cosplayer is responsible for their belongings.
Yes, Dreamhack has a lot of fun activities for both cosplayers and guests, there are competitions, expo activities, and multiple places to play games and hang out.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to mingle and network with other cosplayers and people in the gaming industry.
The Cosplay Crew will have a general idea about the activities at the event.
At the event, we have some tools, paint, safety pins, glue, etc. in our Cosplay repair station.
Missing anything here when at the event, feel free to ask one of our dedicated Cosplay Crew and we may be able to help!
Yes, but we require check-in and approval from the cosplay crew since we want to keep the Cosplay lounge a safe and chill place to be during the event. Remember to respect the cosplayers so that they may be there to take a break.
Cosplays can be stored in the dressing rooms, but it will be at your own risk.
However, we have our crew limiting access to the lounge and dressing room area at all hours, so the space is only shared between Cosplayers (and assistants), Cosplay Crew, and Cosplay Photographers. Availability of storage is very limited.
We want Dreamhack to be a fun event for Cosplay and care a lot about your experience. Cosplay Crew is here to support and we also have the support of the other functions at Dreamhack, such as Medic and Security if needed.
Cosplay Competitions
DreamHack Stockholm offers three different cosplay competition experiences:
DreamHack Cosplay Championship
A craftsmanship-focused competition with Novice, Artisan, and Expert tiers based on your previous competition experience.
Extreme Cosplay Gathering Qualifier
A top-level craftsmanship and performance competition where the winner will represent Sweden at the ECG Finals at Japan Expo in Paris.
Cosplay Catwalk Competitions
Fun, walk-up competitions open to all cosplayers, with no pre-registration or self-made costume requirement.
You may enter more than one competition as long as you meet the individual eligibility requirements and register separately for each one.
Yes. All competitors need a valid DreamHack festival badge. Some pre-registered competitions may provide accepted participants with a badge, while walk-up competitors will need to already have access to the festival. Please review the details for your specific competition.
Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements and complete the registration process for each competition separately. Schedule conflicts may occur, so competitors are responsible for checking all judging, rehearsal, and stage times.
All performances, costumes, music, introductions, and props must remain appropriate for a family-friendly, PG-13 audience. Offensive, excessively violent, sexual, political, or religious demonstrations are not permitted.
The Deadline for sign-up is 28th of October. But remember that we will accept applications ongoing basis, tiers may fill up before the deadline.
The Deadline for the WIP material is 2nd of November. We will however, ask for a reference picture before the deadline; this is just so that we can prepare graphics for the stage show beforehand.
Yes, up until the deadline there are no problems at all. But please be open if you feel there is no chance of finishing. Since then we can give the spot to someone waiting in line.
Yes, the assistant/handler needs their own ticket but in the form you can sign them up as your plus one and they will get their own ticket. Assistants will, however, have access to the same amenities as you, so if they cosplay, they can take the opportunity to get some pictures in the photo studio!
Yes, we usually have access to a stage next to the lounge area that we use for this. This can’t be promised, however, so we will let you know if this will be possible again this year.
Contact us at dh.cosplayswe@efg.gg or talk to the Cosplay Crew at the event.
You need to be there for the DreamHack Cosplay Championship on stage and also the prejudging happening before the show, but we recommend staying for the full event as there are other activities happening as well. Other e.g. competitions, the photo studio and networking.
The Cosplay Crew is available at the event to assist cosplayers to get into the event with a “fast track” handled through the VIP entrance. We will provide details about this in the information sent out to all contestants before the event.
Cosplay rules
We are getting closer to the festival, and we want to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises when you travel with your props or arrive at the venue.
The Swedish Police has therefore asked us to remind everyone that:
Any prop that looks like a weapon must be covered or packed in a bag or case when you’re on public transportation or traveling to/from the venue.
Even if most people will recognize cosplay props, it only takes one person feeling uneasy to call the authorities. Please help us avoid that situation!
Real & Restricted Items
The following are not allowed at DreamHack:
- Real weapons (including soft air guns or other air/gas weapons)
- Props made of metal (e.g. real swords, knives, bats, etc.)
- Explosive materials, fire, smoke, sparks, or similar effects
- Any prohibited items will be handled by security.
Prop Checks & Tags
- All props will be checked by the Cosplay Team and Security upon entry.
- Approved props will receive an approval tag — this must remain on the prop, except during the competition or an approved photo op.
When Inside the Event
- Keep your weapons sheathed or carried in a non-aggressive way.
- Do not point, swing, or aim prop weapons at others while walking around.
Additionally, in the event of an evacuation from Stockholmsmässan, please do not bring weapon-like props outside the venue. This precaution helps prevent confusion and ensures that emergency services can focus on keeping everyone safe.
Thanks for helping us keep DreamHack safe, fun, and welcoming for everyone
At Dreamhack we love and value the creativity and art of expression of cosplay. However, the festival is open to the wide public so in the interest of everyone’s comfort we ask that cosplayers keep this in mind when picking your costume. All cosplays must be suitable for the public space and in accordance with local law and regulations for public spaces. If you are participating in our cosplay competitions and/or shows, we ask that garments safely cover at least your chest, groin and buttocks with a reasonable margin allowing for freedom of movement. Keep in mind that the stage is often elevated with the crowd looking up, so for contestants planning on wearing short/flowy bottoms or for instance an open kimono/wrap design, we strongly urge adding shorts or opaque tights. If the design you are planning on wearing is more revealing than the above guidelines, we ask you to find a way to cover the parts in question for the duration of your presence on stage. The judges will be informed about this and it will not affect your score negatively.
No hateful, offensive or provocative symbols, designs or text are allowed.
We encourage cosplayers to participate in activities around the event.
Have fun, join competitions at the expo, and mingle with visitors.
When walking around the event, full-cover masks/helmets are not allowed.
E.g. ski masks showing only eyes and mouth, or full helmets.
Please carry the helmet or mask, and put it on for posing and photo-op.
Some exceptions apply, like when walking to the competition and the cosplay parade.
When walking around the event, weapons should be sheathed or carried in a non-aggressive way. So no actively walking around the event aiming around you with a gun.
We love large cosplays but for extremely large ones please notify us before the event so we can plan to help you have the best experience possible.
This also applies if your cosplay makes it very hard to see.
Breaking the rules may lead to disqualification and/or a cut festival bracelet. DreamHack and Stockholmsmässan will have the final say in decisions when enforcing the event rules.
Cosplay rules
We are getting closer to the festival, and we want to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises when you travel with your props or arrive at the venue.
The Swedish Police has therefore asked us to remind everyone that:
Any prop that looks like a weapon must be covered or packed in a bag or case when you’re on public transportation or traveling to/from the venue.
Even if most people will recognize cosplay props, it only takes one person feeling uneasy to call the authorities. Please help us avoid that situation!
Real & Restricted Items
The following are not allowed at DreamHack:
- Real weapons (including soft air guns or other air/gas weapons)
- Props made of metal (e.g. real swords, knives, bats, etc.)
- Explosive materials, fire, smoke, sparks, or similar effects
- Any prohibited items will be handled by security.
Prop Checks & Tags
- All props will be checked by the Cosplay Team and Security upon entry.
- Approved props will receive an approval tag — this must remain on the prop, except during the competition or an approved photo op.
When Inside the Event
- Keep your weapons sheathed or carried in a non-aggressive way.
- Do not point, swing, or aim prop weapons at others while walking around.
Additionally, in the event of an evacuation from Stockholmsmässan, please do not bring weapon-like props outside the venue. This precaution helps prevent confusion and ensures that emergency services can focus on keeping everyone safe.
Thanks for helping us keep DreamHack safe, fun, and welcoming for everyone
At Dreamhack we love and value the creativity and art of expression of cosplay. However, the festival is open to the wide public so in the interest of everyone’s comfort we ask that cosplayers keep this in mind when picking your costume. All cosplays must be suitable for the public space and in accordance with local law and regulations for public spaces. If you are participating in our cosplay competitions and/or shows, we ask that garments safely cover at least your chest, groin and buttocks with a reasonable margin allowing for freedom of movement. Keep in mind that the stage is often elevated with the crowd looking up, so for contestants planning on wearing short/flowy bottoms or for instance an open kimono/wrap design, we strongly urge adding shorts or opaque tights. If the design you are planning on wearing is more revealing than the above guidelines, we ask you to find a way to cover the parts in question for the duration of your presence on stage. The judges will be informed about this and it will not affect your score negatively.
No hateful, offensive or provocative symbols, designs or text are allowed.
We encourage cosplayers to participate in activities around the event.
Have fun, join competitions at the expo, and mingle with visitors.
When walking around the event, full-cover masks/helmets are not allowed.
E.g. ski masks showing only eyes and mouth, or full helmets.
Please carry the helmet or mask, and put it on for posing and photo-op.
Some exceptions apply, like when walking to the competition and the cosplay parade.
When walking around the event, weapons should be sheathed or carried in a non-aggressive way. So no actively walking around the event aiming around you with a gun.
We love large cosplays but for extremely large ones please notify us before the event so we can plan to help you have the best experience possible.
This also applies if your cosplay makes it very hard to see.
Breaking the rules may lead to disqualification and/or a cut festival bracelet. DreamHack and Stockholmsmässan will have the final say in decisions when enforcing the event rules.