There are 2 (two) different cosplay competitions you can enter:

• Cosplay Contest for Construction 

  • Walk On (up to 45 seconds) required

• Cosplay Masquerade for On Stage only

  • Walk On (up to 45 seconds)

  • Performance/Skit ( up to 4 minutes)

 

Construction participants cannot enter the Masquerade for a walk-on, as this type of performance is part of the Construction category already. Construction participants CAN enter to do a Performance/Skit however.

 

By entering the contests you are agreeing to and have read and understood the rules for the specific contest you are entering as well as The Penti-Con’s general rules.

 

Rules for entering the Cosplay Contest or Masquerade:

 

• You must have a ticket for the Penti-con 2026 valid for the day of these contests (Saturday of the convention).

• You must be 14 or older to compete in any of our Cosplay Contests events. There will be no exceptions.

• We do not allow sharp metal objects or previously functioning projectiles at our event for props.

  • If you are unsure if your prop is okay to bring, please email us.

  • All props and weapons will need to be Peace Bonded. By Peace Bonding your weapon you agree that you will not hit or hurt anyone with it. We will attach a tie to your prop to signify it has been peace bonded.

  • Our expanded prop policy can be found here: https://www.thepenti-con.org/weaponsinfo

• You must bring everything off the stage that you came on with. Confetti and glitter bombs, etc are not allowed. Usage of these items will result in immediate disqualification and you will be barred from competing at our event.

• You are required to treat all other participants with respect and kindness. Poor sportsmanship or poor treatment of others is prohibited at any Penti-Con event.

  • If you see others being rude, or you are experiencing issues yourself, please report this to volunteers or staff immediately.

  • We understand that not everyone gets along, and ask if there is someone participating you do not get along with, to act in a civil manner in their presence.

    • Failure to act in a manner that is respectful to all fellow participants may be grounds for disqualification from the Cosplay Contest and future Cosplay Events at The Penti-con.

 

Costume Requirements:

 

• Costumes that have been entered in any prior Penti-con Cosplay Contest that was pre-judged will not be allowed.

  • Costumes that were made by the entrant but only entered in the Masquerade prior will be eligible for the Cosplay Contest.

 

• Any costume that has won a major award (Top of category or division, Best in Show) at an event larger than The Penti-Con will not be allowed in the construction competition. Costumes that have been entered in other competitions but have no major awards will be allowed. Sandbagging is prohibited at our event and any allegations will be investigated promptly.

  • Top of category winning costumes (Novice, Journeyman/Intermediate, Masters, Best In Show) from similar sized events or smaller (less than 4000 attendees) will be eligible to enter the Penti-con Cosplay contest ONLY if 50% of the costume has been remade or significantly altered. Please email the cosplay coordinator (cosplay@thepenti-con.org) to double check if your costume will be eligible. For this type of costume a build book will be required and all changes made must be clearly shown. Judges have the final call on if your costume is eligible for awards based on what was changed.

 

• Construction participants must have made at least 60% of their own costume to qualify. Please refer to the Construction information page for more details. Failure to make 60% or more of your costume may result in you not being considered for awards.

 

• Masquerade participants can use bought costumes in this category, as this is solely performance based.

 

• We have a strict no tolerance policy on changing your skin tone to be that of another human's skin tone. This is not allowed in any of our competitions and anyone found doing so will be disqualified immediately.

  • This ONLY applies to a real person's skin tone.

  • Changing your skin for fantasy races is completely fine so long as they do not have a skin tone of a real human.

    • Example: any character that has blue, pink, red, grey, etc coloured skin that does not emulate a real human's skin tone is allowed.

 

If you have any questions please feel free to email our cosplay contest coordinator at cosplay@thepenti-con.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

 

Please check out the expanded rules on the relevant pages linked below for entering the contests and related forms to do so.

 

All cosplay events registration close on October 21st, 2026 at 11pm, unless available spots fill up before then. Be sure to submit early then for your best chance at getting a spot! You will receive an email the week of the convention with details of contest information and locations. We will do our best to confirm your entry into the contest within 14 days of your submission. If you have not heard back after 14 days, please email cosplay@thepenti-con.org for a follow up.

 

To ensure accessibility to all those who wish to participate we will have a raised stage with wheelchair ramp access. Participants will also have access to a backstage area for the duration of the contest. 

 

Due to the way our wonderful community has grown, we are aware some judges may have prior familiarity or relationships with contestants. We want to assure all participants that all our judges will evaluate each participant equally and impartially regardless of this.