DreamHack Cosplay Championship (DHCC) is our very own craftsmanship competition where we focus on the creativity and craftsmanship of every cosplayer’s costume. It’s divided into 4 tiers; Youth, Novice, Artisan & Expert. All cosplayers are pre-judged by our three judges; one national, one nordic and one international to create non-biased decisions on winners.
Participants cannot compete wearing a cosplay that has previously placed in the top three of any category at DreamHack Cosplay Championship. Each contestant will have a few minutes for pre-judging and up to 1 minute on stage from entering to exiting. Experts may send in up to 60 seconds long music file for their catwalk (optional)
The judges will have final decision and right to interpret our criteria while judging. All decisions are final, and must be respected. The judges have the right to change the contestant’s tier before the stage show based on the contestant’s experience and the cosplay they have chosen to compete in. We may consult with the judges prior to the event if we believe a re-tiering may be in order.
We allow cosplays from all media, video games, role-playing games, comic books, manga, anime, TV or film adaptations, fan art etc. We also allow for gender bends, gijinkas and original characters (e.g. DnD characters, or your character from a game). Important to note that you still need to bring reference materials for your design. Please note that mascot costumes or bought dress-up costumes are not acceptable to compete with.
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.
International Cosplay Judge
Dishycrafts (He/him) is a cosplayer from the Netherlands with over 13-years of cosplaying experience. Cosplay is a form of therapy to him and he finds the crafting process the most rewarding part of it. He started his competitive career in 2015 and ever since, he has won many prizes, among them are multiple at Dreamhack Rotterdam. In 2023 he won first place as the solo contestant during the International Cosplay League in Madrid. In 2024 he was selected as the first Dutch representative for the Nordic Cosplay Championship in 2025.
His biggest drive is to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with other cosplayers, so he often teaches lectures at conventions throughout the Netherlands, or cosplay-related workshops at his local culture center. He’s often collaborated with Bethesda and in the past has done promotional work for HBO and Playstation.
Nordic Cosplay Judge
Frostylva is a Norwegian cosplayer with well over a decade’s worth of cosplay experience. As a cosplayer, she is an autodidact jack-of-all-trades, but her true passion lies on the grittier end of the cosplay spectrum building props and armors, especially through 3D-modelling and printing, but also in the more literal sense through intricate paint jobs and weathering. Frostylva is an experienced panelist and workshop host and the communication and teaching aspect of cosplay is one of her biggest passions next to hero wn crafting, and she has shared her knowledge notjust at conventions, but also at youth clubs, festivals and more. She is also an experienced judge, and has judged a large number of competitions in both in her home country Norway and abroad.In addition to being an avid contributor to the cosplay community as a cosplayer herself, she is also one of the main organizers of Magicon, Norway’s largest cosplay convention.By day, she works in the university sector and her professional background is PhD in molecular biology.As a judge, Frostylva loves creative and well-reasoned problem-solving and is on the lookout for solid craftsmanship with interesting combinations of textures and materials. She has a keen eye for detail, and loves costume that are more than what meets the eye and keep on giving. Whenever Frostylva enters the judges’ booth, she wants to see cosplayers who thrive and truly embody their characters through both craftsmanship and showmanship
Swedish Cosplay Judge Duo
After all these years of trying out pretty much everything cosplay had to offer them, MitterMakes sat down and had a long talk about what their next step would be. They knew they wanted to do something together as a duo, something that felt meaningful and combined their favorite parts of cosplay. Something that also gave back to the community that had given so much to them. The answer was simple: MitterMakes Cosplay Studio was born!
As a studio, they can focus on lecturing, workshops, and helping the next generation of cosplayers. They have held countless of workshops all around Sweden, open for everyone to attend, but mainly focusing on youth and kids. Last year, they founded Jönköping’s School of Cosplay, where they tutored an entire class for a year. On top of that, they judge cosplay contests, sell merch and accessories both at events and online, and spend a lot of time making custom ordered commissions both for cosplayers and for companies. Through the network they have built, they can have MitterMakes Cosplay Studio as their part-time job, and they couldn’t be more thankful and happy! This studio is their ultimate passion project, and they are super excited to see where it takes them in the future!
Swedish Cosplay Judge
Mitternacht has been cosplaying since childhood—long before she knew the word for it. What began with paper tiaras and Sailor Moon grew into a full-blown passion when she discovered the cosplay community at 18. Since then, she has brought countless characters to life, from humble Naruto beginnings to award-winning costumes at the Swedish and Nordic Cosplay Championships.
A true force in the scene, Mitternacht now judges competitions, gives talks on makeup and prop-making, and travels internationally as a cosplay guest. With years of experience, a strong online presence, and a deep love for the craft, MitterNacht has turned cosplay into both a career and a lifestyle—powered by creativity and community.
Swedish Cosplay Judge
RakeMake is a passionate cosplayer with a background in mechanical engineering, inspired by a love for video games, sci-fi, and prop making. He discovered cosplay at a Swedish anime convention and became deeply involved in the growing local scene. Starting with DIY methods, RakeMake has competed nationally, placing in the top three, and co-founded a major annual convention that helped shape Swedish cosplay culture. He values cosplay’s inclusivity and creativity, seeing it as a way to connect with others and celebrate shared fandoms.
The Extreme Cosplay Gathering (ECG) Qualifier at DreamHack is Sweden’s gateway to the ECG Finals at Japan Expo in Paris. This top-tier cosplay competition highlights craftsmanship and performance, featuring props, LED visuals, and sound for a full-on showcase of skill and creativity.
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The Deadline for sign-up is 26th 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.
The cosplay lounge is located in the T-wing, close to Scandic Talk. This is very close to the VIP entrance to the event.
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.
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 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, 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.
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.
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.
Yes, we do have this at the event. There will be clear signs onsite.
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.
Real weapons are not allowed, including soft air guns or other air/gas weapons. Weapons made of metal are not allowed as props, these will be taken care of by security. So no real swords, knives, bats, etc.
We do not allow explosive materials, fire, smoke, sparks, or similar effects. Props will be checked by the Cosplay team and/or Security when entering the event and getting an approval tag, this tag may only be removed during the competition and if needed for a photo-op.
Since this is a family-friendly event, Costumes must be appropriate for wear in public.
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.
