GalaxyCon’s Runway Costume Contest is a fun, lighthearted catwalk-style event for cosplayers of all ages and skill levels to showcase their costumes!
Pre-registration is required. Contestants can sign up in advance online or in person during the convention at the Cosplay Information Booth (located in the Cosplay Lounge). There is no prejudging for this contest. Contestants can compete in store-bought or homemade costumes as there is no craftsmanship requirement.
PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
● Best in Show: $100 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Individual: $50 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Group: $50 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Junior / Youth: $25 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Judges’ Awards (3): Custom Medals
COMPETITION RULES:
● This contest is open to all attendees of GalaxyCon with an event badge or bracelet.
● One entry per person or group.
● No separate entries from the same person.
● There is a limit of 50 entries. 25 entries will be accepted online. The rest will be held for in-person registration at the convention.
● Individual entries are limited to one person. Group entries can include 2-10 people.
● All contestants must fill out the entry form.
● All costumes must come from an established cartoon, comic book, anime, video game, tabletop game, television show, manga, novel, movie, etc.
● All costumes must be PG-13 or less. Nudity and risqué costumes are not allowed.
● Bad behavior of any kind is not allowed. This includes but is not limited to: trash talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, and bullying (in person or online). Improper behavior will get you removed from the competition and possibly the convention.
● No harmful or potentially harmful materials are allowed. This includes but is not limited to: water, cigarettes, flames, fireworks or sparklers, smoke, silly string, confetti, and any other substance that can be fired, launched, or dropped.
● All props and costumes used in the competition must adhere to GalaxyCon’s Prop and Costume Rules. Props must be tagged by Prop Check.
● Cosplay is NOT consent! Taking photos of other contestants while in line and/or backstage without consent is not allowed. Inappropriately touching or speaking to other contestants is not allowed and will result in disqualification and possible expulsion from the convention.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Contestants who register online will receive a confirmation email once their entry has been processed, which can take up to 48 hours. Once at the convention, contestants should check-in at the Cosplay Information Booth. This can be done at any time before the contest while the booth is open. Line-up instructions will be given at check-in, as well as any time or location updates.
In-person registration can be done at the Cosplay Info Booth once the convention begins. A GalaxyCon volunteer or staff member will provide assistance. Check-in will be done simultaneously, so line-up instructions and other updates will be provided once registered.
All contestants must be at the designated stage at least 30 minutes prior to the contest’s start time as listed on the official GalaxyCon schedule (or the provided updated time if applicable). If there are any extra spots, walk-in entries may be accepted.
Contestants will appear on stage in the order they lined up in. Once on stage, they will provide the Emcee with their name, their character’s name, and the series that character is from. After striking 3 poses, contestants will exit and find a seat in the audience to watch the rest of the contest. Anyone not present for the awards ceremony will be disqualified and will not receive the award if chosen. Photos taken by GalaxyCon Photographers will be uploaded onto GalaxyCon’s website a few weeks after the convention.
If you have any questions, please email us at cosplay@galaxycon.com. Please include the specific contest and city you are inquiring about.
The After Dark Costume Contest is where the sexy side of cosplay struts their stuff on the catwalk! This contest is open to GalaxyCon attendees 18 years and older. No contestants or audience members under the age of 18 are allowed.
Pre-registration is required. Contestants can sign up in advance online or in person during the convention at the Cosplay Information Booth (located in the Cosplay Lounge). There is no prejudging for this contest. Contestants can compete in store-bought or homemade costumes as there is no craftsmanship requirement.
PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
● Best in Show: $250 Cash Prize & Award Medal
● Director’s Choice: $200 Cash Prize & Award Medal
● 2nd Place: $150 Cash Prize & Award Medal
● 3rd Place: $100 Cash Prize & Award Medal
● Best Group: $100 Cash Prize & Award Medal
● Judges’ Awards (3): Award Medals
(Additional awards may be created at the judges’ discretion)
COMPETITION RULES:
● This contest is open to all attendees of GalaxyCon 18 years old or older with an event badge or bracelet.
● One entry per person or group. No separate entries from the same person.
There is a limit of 50 entries. 25 entries will be accepted online. The rest will be held for in-person registration at the convention.
Individual entries are limited to one person. Group entries can include 2-10 people.
● All contestants must fill out the entry form.
● All costumes must come from an established cartoon, comic book, anime, video game, tabletop game, television show, manga, novel, movie, etc.
● No nudity! While this is an 18+ event, full nudity is still not allowed.
● The lowest layer of clothing contestants can strip down to is swimsuit/underwear layer.
● Bad behavior of any kind is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: trash-talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, or bullying (in person or online). Improper behavior will get you removed from the competition and possibly the convention.
● No harmful or potentially harmful materials are allowed, including, but not limited to: water, cigarettes, flames, fireworks or sparklers, smoke, silly string, confetti, and any other substance that can be fired, launched, or dropped.
● All props and costumes used in the competition must adhere to GalaxyCon’s Prop and Costume Rules. Props must be tagged by Prop Check.
● Cosplay is NOT consent! Taking photos of other contestants while in line and/or backstage without consent is not allowed. Inappropriately touching or speaking to other contestants is not allowed and will result in disqualification and possible expulsion from the convention.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Contestants who register online will receive a confirmation email once their entry has been processed, which can take up to 48 hours. Once at the convention, contestants should check-in at the Cosplay Information Booth. This can be done at any time before the contest while the booth is open. Line-up instructions will be given at check-in, as well as any time or location updates.
In-person registration can be done at the Cosplay Info Booth once the convention begins. A GalaxyCon volunteer or staff member will provide assistance. Check-in will be done simultaneously, so line-up instructions and other updates will be given once registered. Because this contest is part of GalaxyCon’s After Dark programming, anyone registering will need to verify that they are over 18.
All contestants must be at the designated stage at least 30 minutes prior to the contest’s start time as listed on the official GalaxyCon schedule (or the provided updated time if applicable). If there are any extra spots, walk-in entries may be accepted.
Contestants will appear on stage in the order they lined up in. Once on stage, they will provide the Emcee with their name, their character’s name, and the series that character is from. After striking 3 poses, contestants will exit and find a seat in the audience to watch the rest of the contest. Anyone not present for the awards ceremony will be disqualified and will not receive the award if chosen. Photos taken by GalaxyCon Photographers will be uploaded onto GalaxyCon’s website a few weeks after the convention.
If you have any questions, please email us at
The GalaxyCon Craftsmanship Costume Competition is our biggest cosplay event of the weekend, featuring the best cosplayers at GalaxyCon and over $2,500 in cash and prizes!
Pre-registration and prejudging are required. Contestants can sign up in advance online or in-person during the convention at the Cosplay Information Booth (located in the Cosplay Lounge). Contestants will be judged on craftsmanship, so all costumes entered must be at least 70% handmade or made from scratch overall. Every contestant must attend prejudging before the contest to discuss their costume with the judges.
PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
● Best In Show: $1,000 Cash Prize, Custom Medal, & Award Trophy
● Con Chair Spotlight: $400 Cash Prize & Award Trophy
● Masters Award: $300 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Craftsmanship Award: $100 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Individual, Journeyman: $100 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Individual, Novice: $75 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Individual, Junior/Youth: $75 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Group, Journeyman / Masters: $100 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Group, Novice: $75 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Original Character: $75 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Prop: $75 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Judges’ Awards (3): Custom Medals
SKILL DIVISION & CATEGORY GUIDELINES:
The GalaxyCon Costume Competition is open to cosplayers of all skill levels. In the interest of fairness, contestants will be separated into divisions based on skill and experience. Contestants are expected to register under the division they believe fits them best. However, if you are unsure, or if the judges believe your work/experience dictates that you should be higher, they reserve the right to move contestants. Deciding factors include hours invested in the costume’s construction, techniques utilized, and years of cosplay/crafting experience. The divisions are as follows:
Junior/Youth:
This division is for any contestant 13 years old or under wearing a costume mostly made by themselves. Parents/guardians are allowed to assist with construction (such as when using a power tool, etc) but the majority of the costume must be made by the child competing. (Costumes entirely built by an adult but modeled by a child should be entered under the adult’s appropriate skill division.)
Novice:
Equivalent to Beginner. The Novice division is for any contestant who is new to cosplay and/or competing in major costume competitions. All contestants are eligible to compete in the Novice division unless they have competed and placed in the Novice/Beginner division or higher at a previous craftsmanship competition held by GalaxyCon or another major convention.
Journeyman:
Equivalent to Intermediate. The Journeyman division is for any contestant who has been cosplaying and/or crafting for a few years (about 3 to 5 years) and has made a number of intermediate-level costumes. Contestants who fit this description but have either never competed in a craftsmanship competition before, or have competed but never placed in the Novice or Journeyman divisions at a previous competition (GalaxyCon or otherwise) are eligible to compete at this level.
Masters:
Equivalent to Advanced or Professional. The Masters division is for any contestant who has been cosplaying for many years (5 years or more) and has made a number of advanced-level costumes. Previous competition experience or placement is not required for this division as long as the costume entered demonstrates advanced construction techniques.
Special Note for Groups:
Group members can belong to any skill division. When registering, groups should choose the skill division that best fits their group as a whole. Based on the information discussed during pre-judging, the judges will use their discretion to determine which skill division to judge the group as a whole.
COSTUME GUIDELINES:
● All costumes entered must be at least 70% handmade (made from scratch) by the competitor.
● Store-bought costumes, or costumes consisting mostly of store-bought garments, are not allowed. This includes costumes from stores like Amazon, Spirit Halloween, Walmart, MicCostumes, EZ Cosplays, thrift stores, etc.
● The following store-bought items are allowed: wigs, notions, trims, belts, shoes, jewelry, and most accessories. Other items will be allowed at the discretion of the judges.
● Props are allowed to be store-bought. However, this will make them ineligible for the Best Prop award.
● Contestants are highly encouraged to bring reference and progress photos of their costume to pre-judging. These images can be brought physically (as print-outs or assembled in a build book) or digitally (on the contestant’s personal phone or tablet device). Images shown digitally should be assembled in a designated folder/album on the device so that no time is wasted sorting through photos during prejudging. Competitors in Journeyman and Masters are expected to bring multiple progress and reference photos.
● Commissioned costumes may only be entered if the creator of the costume is able to attend prejudging.
COMPETITION RULES:
● This contest is open to all attendees of GalaxyCon with an event badge or bracelet.
● One entry per person or group.
● No separate entries from the same person.
● There is a limit of 100 entries. 50 entries will be accepted online. The rest will be held for in-person registration at the convention. If all slots are filled before Saturday, a waitlist will be created. People on the waitlist will only be called if enough registered contestants fail to attend pre-judging.
● Individual entries are limited to one person. Group entries can include 2-10 people.
● All contestants must fill out the entry form.
● All costumes must come from an established cartoon, comic book, anime, video game, tabletop game, television show, manga, novel, movie, etc.
● All costumes must be PG-13 or less. Nudity and risqué costumes are not allowed.
● Bad behavior of any kind is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: trash talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, and bullying (in person or online). Improper behavior will get you removed from the competition and possibly the convention.
● No harmful or potentially harmful materials are allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: water, cigarettes, flames, fireworks or sparklers, smoke, silly string, confetti, and any other substance that can be fired, launched, or dropped.
● All props and costumes used in the competition must adhere to GalaxyCon’s Prop and Costume Rules. Props must be tagged by Prop Check.
● Cosplay is NOT consent! Taking photos of other contestants while in line and/or backstage without consent is not allowed. Inappropriately touching or speaking to other contestants is not allowed and will result in disqualification and possible expulsion from the convention.
● Rerun Rule: If the costume being entered has already won an award at a GalaxyCon contest earlier that same weekend, it is ineligible to compete. If the costume has won an award at a previous GalaxyCon or other major convention before the current calendar year, it is ineligible to compete. If the costume won at another convention within the current calendar year, it can still be entered.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Contestants who register online will receive a confirmation email with their contestant number and prejudging information once their entry has been processed, which can take up to 48 hours. Once at the convention, contestants should check in at the Cosplay Information Booth. This can be done at any time before the contest while the booth is open. Directions to the prejudging room will be given at check-in, as well as any time or location updates.
In-person registration can be done at the Cosplay Info Booth once the convention begins. A GalaxyCon volunteer or staff member will provide assistance. Check-in will be done simultaneously, so contestant numbers, prejudging information, and other updates will be given once registered.
Please arrive at the Prejudging Room at any time within your 30-minute prejudging window. Contestants will be seen in order of arrival. The judges will speak to individual contestants for about 3 minutes and to groups for about 5 minutes. Please have any reference/progress photos ready to show. Every contestant will be photographed by a GalaxyCon photographer before meeting with the judges. Once done with prejudging, you are free until it’s line-up time.
All contestants must be at the Main Stage for line-up at least 45 minutes prior to the start time as listed on the official GalaxyCon schedule (or the provided updated time if applicable). Arrivals any time later than this may not be accommodated and may result in disqualification.
Contestants will line up and appear on stage according to their skill division line-up number (provided during prejudging). Once on stage, the Emcees will announce the contestant’s name and character. They will strike 3 poses and then exit. Contestants should find a seat in the audience to watch the rest of the contest. Anyone not present for the awards ceremony will be disqualified and will not receive the award if chosen. Photos taken by GalaxyCon photographers will be uploaded to GalaxyCon’s website a few weeks after the convention.
If you have any questions, please email us at
The GalaxyCon Kids Costume Contest is a fun catwalk-style event for kids 13 and under to showcase their costumes!
Registration will be done at the contest’s designated location before the start of the event. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before to sign up.
This contest is for children ages 13 and under. Individual and group entries are allowed. Costumes entered can be store-bought, handmade, or a combination of both. There is no prejudging or craftsmanship requirement for this contest. Children older than 13 are allowed to compete with their siblings under 13. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay with their children during line-up and while on stage if preferred (being in costume is not necessary).
If you have any questions, please email us at
The GalaxyCon Masquerade Costume & Performance Competition is where cosplayers bring their characters to life through performances of all kinds! Contestants will be judged based on their costumes and performances. Some type of stage performance (dance routine, skit, lip-sync, singing, martial arts demonstration, etc) alongside your costume is required.
Pre-registration is required. Contestants can sign up in advance online or in person during the convention at the Cosplay Information Booth (located in the Cosplay Lounge). There is no prejudging or rehearsal for this competition. Contestants can compete in store-bought or homemade costumes as there is no craftsmanship requirement.
PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
● Best in Show: $500 Cash Prize & Award Trophy
● Director’s Award: $250 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Individual: $150 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Group: $150 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Best Junior / Youth: $50 Cash Prize & Custom Medal
● Judges’ Awards (3): Custom Medals
PERFORMANCE & AUDIO RULES:
● For Individual entries, performance/audio length must be 90 seconds or under.
● For Group entries, performance/audio length must be 3 minutes (180 seconds) or under.
● Contestants can submit their audio as an .MP3 or .MP4 file to cosplay@galaxycon.com. Please include your contestant number if you have already received it.
● Audio can also be dropped off on a USB/flash drive in person at the convention. Please make sure your audio is trimmed to your time limit and in an .MP3 or .MP4 format.
● Since this is a family-friendly event, performances and lyrics must be PG-13 or under.
● Microphones will be available to use on a case-by-case basis. They will only be provided to performers who require them due to their performance type (such as a singing performance or a skit). Microphones will not be provided if they are solely going to be used as props.
● All performances must be confined to the stage and the area immediately adjacent to the stage (stage right or left).
● Jumps, including flips of any kind, are not allowed.
● Throwing or tossing anything off stage and into the audience is not allowed.
● Including any person not listed in your entry form in your performance is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: members of the audience, the judges, other contestants, GalaxyCon staff/volunteers, and the stage crew.
COMPETITION RULES:
● This contest is open to all attendees of GalaxyCon with an event badge or bracelet.
● One entry per person or group.
● No separate entries from the same person.
● There is a limit of 50 entries. 30 entries will be accepted online. The rest will be held for in-person registration at the convention. Last-minute entries will not be accepted.
Individual entries are limited to one person. Group entries can include 2-10 people.
● All contestants must fill out the entry form.
● All costumes must come from an established cartoon, comic book, anime, video game, tabletop game, television show, manga, novel, movie, etc.
● All costumes and performances must be PG-13 or less. Nudity and risqué costumes are not allowed.
● Bad behavior of any kind is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: trash talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, and bullying (in person or online). Improper behavior will get you removed from the competition and possibly the convention.
● No harmful or potentially harmful materials are allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: water, cigarettes, flames, fireworks or sparklers, smoke, silly string, confetti, and any other substance that can be fired, launched, or dropped.
● All props and costumes used in the competition must adhere to GalaxyCon’s Prop and Costume Rules. Props must be tagged by Prop Check.
● Cosplay is NOT consent! Taking photos of other contestants while in line and/or backstage without consent is not allowed. Inappropriately touching or speaking to other contestants is not allowed and will result in disqualification and possible expulsion from the convention.
● Costumes and/or performances that were entered in and won a major award at a previous GalaxyCon Masquerade or other major convention before the current calendar year are ineligible to compete. If the costume and/or performance was entered in a major competition (GalaxyCon or otherwise) within the current calendar year, they are still able to compete, regardless of whether or not an award was won.
● If necessary, handlers and “stagehands” are allowed to join contestants backstage during line-up. However, if they are not part of your performance, they are not considered a contestant and will not count toward a group entry. Up to 2 handlers or stagehands are allowed per entry.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Contestants who register online will receive a confirmation email once their entry has been processed, which can take up to 48 hours. Once at the convention, contestants should check-in at the Cosplay Information Booth. This can be done at any time before the contest while the booth is open. Line-up instructions will be given at check-in, as well as any time or location updates.
In-person registration can be done at the Cosplay Info Booth once the convention begins. A GalaxyCon volunteer or staff member will provide assistance. Check-in will be done simultaneously, so line-up instructions and other updates will be given once registered.
All contestants must be at the designated stage at least 45 minutes prior to the contest’s start time as listed on the official GalaxyCon schedule (or the provided updated time if applicable).
Contestants will line up and appear on stage according to their contestant number. After the emcee announces them, contestants will enter the stage and start their performance. Once finished, contestants will exit and find a seat in the audience to watch the rest of the contest. Anyone not present for the awards ceremony will be disqualified and will not receive the award if chosen. Photos taken by GalaxyCon Photographers will be uploaded onto GalaxyCon’s website a few weeks after the convention.
If you have any questions, please email us at