As Cape Town gears up for the unforgettable celebration of creativity and fandom that is Comic Con Cape Town, Cosplayers from all corners of the city are preparing to unveil their creations at the festival.
For those new to the artform, Cosplay is when dressing-up grows up – it’s a combination of costume design and performance art, where participants create incredible replicas of the costumes of their favourite fictitious characters from anime, video games, movies, books, and more. Once dressed in their Cosplay, the performance art kicks in as the Cosplayer brings the attitude of the character to life, acting as if they are the character themselves.
Comic Con Cape Town recognises the talent, skill, and time that goes into creating these walking pieces of art. The Con brings international Cosplayer guests to meet and chat with fans, hosts daily casual competitions, and crowns one overall winner in the Comic Con Cape Town Cosplay Competition.
International Stars of Cosplay
Yaya Han has been Cosplaying since 1999 when it was a niche section of geek-fandom, paving the way for the Cosplayers of today. Over the years she has crafted more than 400 intricate and lavish costumes and is a respected competition judge. Her current focus is on making tools and materials more easily available to the wider community and using Cosplay as a force for good, supporting charitable projects with her work.
Jaremi Carey is a reality TV personality, gamer, host, and transformation artist who has done Cosplay style campaigns for companies like Pokémon International, Fox TV, HBO, and The Last of Us. He has years of experience speaking and judging at Comic Cons around the world, bringing both insight and energy to the stage.
Both Jaremi and Yaya will be featured on the Comic Con Cape Town Main Stage, participating in Q&As, sharing stories about their careers in Cosplay, and meeting fans.
Daily Casual Cosplay Competitions
Casual competitions happen twice a day, every day of Comic Con Cape Town. They take place on the Main Stage, giving fans the opportunity to strut their stuff on the same stage walked by the Con’s international guests. The casual competitions are above all about energy and vibes, and all levels of Cosplay and dress-up are allowed to enter, be they handmade or store-bought. Even better, awesome prizes are up for grabs. Sign-up happens on the same day at the Con’s Cosplay Central.
Comic Con Cape Town Cosplay Competition
This competition is for fully handmade Cosplays only – nothing store-bought, made only by the hands of the Cosplayer wearing it. The Comic Con Cape Town Cosplay Competition is the essential Cosplay title to win in Cape Town. This is where committed Cosplayers get to show off their creations to the Con’s international and local judges, pitting themselves against the best of the best Cosplayers in the City. The lengthy judging process sees contestants show off not only their needlework skills, but also their talents in creating bulky armour and weaponry. 39 contestants will be competing in 2026, and the exciting not-to-be-missed finals take place at 16h00 on the Comic Con Cape Town Main Stage.
Cosplay All Day
Competitions aside, Cosplay is at the heart of the Comic Con Cape Town experience. Many fans come to Comic Con Cape Town purely for the joy of wearing their creations among likeminded friends and communities, and many of the characters look like they’ve just walked off the set of a major film set. Fans come to Comic Con Cape Town to admire these incredible creations and give kudos to the artists wearing them.
Whether you’re competing, creating, or simply soaking it all in, Comic Con Cape Town is the place to celebrate creativity, community, and Cosplay All Day!
