Aurora Cosplay Tournament (ACT) is an international group cosplay championship bringing together country representatives from across the Baltic Sea region.

Each country is represented by one selected group consisting of 2–4 competitors.

The First ever Grand Final is held on 4th of September 2027 in Tracon, Tampere Hall, Finland.

Aurora Cosplay Tournament reserves the right to interpret and clarify these rules.
Rule updates may occur before each competition season.

Last update: 9.3.2026

1. Each participating country may send one (1) group, selected through an official national preselection organized by an Aurora Cosplay Tournament partner event.
2. Group must consist of 2–4 members.
3. Groups are allowed to have assistants with them, by the following rules:
   1. Groups of 2 may have up to two (2) assistants. 
   2. Groups of 3 may have one (1) assistant.
   3. Groups of 4 are not allowed to have any assistants.
4. Each member of the Group and assistants has to be at least 18 years old by 29th of August 2027.
5. Each member of the Group must be citizens or permanent residents of the country they represent.
6. ACT does not accept direct applications from individuals. Participation is only possible via official national preselections.
7. Aurora Cosplay Tournament reserves the right to verify eligibility.
8. If the selected representatives are not able to attend the Finals, the first Runner-Up will take their spot.

1. All costumes must be self-made by the competing group members.
   Commissioned costumes are not allowed.
   
2. The work on costumes between group members has to be divided equally and each member has to have their craftsmanship visible on the costumes.
   
3. At least 80% of each costume must be made by the members of the group.
   1. Store-bought base items are allowed only if they are significantly altered.
   2. 3D print models and embroidery patterns and all other patterns as well are highly recommended to be designed by the contestants, but they can be store-bought. If they are store-bought it has to be communicated clearly to the ACT team and towards judges in costume documentation.
   3. Generative AI is not permitted in making patterns or in any other ways.
4. Costumes must be based on officially published and licensed source material (e.g., anime, manga, video games, films, comics)
   1. Each member of the group has to have a costume from the same source.
   2. Contestants will have to be able to deliver official full body reference images of all the costumes.
   3. Designs based on fanart, genderswaps and gijinkas are not permitted unless they are officially licensed.
   4. Hannah Alexander illustrations and Sakizô are allowed. 
   5. Designs based on artbooks, posters and dolls are allowed if they are officially approved and licensed.
5. Original designs are not permitted.
6. Offensive costumes and make-up (such as black face) are strictly prohibited.
7. All costumes must be completed before arrival to the event. Repairs are permitted if something has broken, but building parts for the costume is not allowed. Failing to follow this rule will eliminate the Group’s chance for placing in the Finals.
8. Costumes that have placed in previous international competitions (e.g WCS, ECG, NCC, GIGOF…) are not allowed in the Finals.
   • Contestants are allowed to compete with costumes that have placed (but not won) in the National Qualifiers to previous international competitions.
9. Contestants are allowed to use the same costumes on ACT National Selections and in the Finals.

Groups are advised to document the making of their costumes and performance from the beginning with photos and notes as each group has to provide documentation digitally by the given deadline.

1. Each Group must submit within the given timeline: Buildbook of making their costumes and performance.
   1. Buildbook will be sent to craftsmanship and performance juries week before the Finals, so they can get familiar with the costumes before pre-judging.
   2. Groups will use the official template provided by Aurora Cosplay Tournament.
   3. Groups are not allowed to bring physical documentation or buildbooks to the pre-judging.
      1. However, if the costume has for example tricky colors and the contestant is worried how they will show on screen, it is permitted to bring printed reference photos to the pre-judging.
2. These documents are a supporting tool in judging but they do not replace live evaluation.

Aurora Cosplay Tournament will uphold fair, transparent, and professional judging standards. Judges each year are chosen by a panel of Aurora Cosplay Tournament organizers to represent the wide margin of different skills costumes and performances might include.

1. Aurora Cosplay Tournament uses a 2 x 3 jury system:
   1. Three (3) judges evaluate Craftsmanship
   2. Three (3) judges evaluate Performance
2. Craftsmanship of the costumes will be evaluated on pre-judging.
   1. Each Group will have 15 minutes with the judges.
   2. Judging will be in English.
   3. The whole Group has to arrive to the costume judging with their costumes fully on.
   4. Each Group will be given specific time for costume judging. 
   5. If the Group is late from the judging, this will negatively affect their craftsmanship points.
3. Performances will be judged during The Finals.
   1. Judges will see the performances only once (1) live.
4. Judges are allowed to discuss craftsmanship / performances within their own judge panel before confirming final scores of their own.
   1. Judges will not be allowed to see each others scores.
5. Judges are required to give contestants feedback after the competition if the contestants wish so.
   1. The Feedback will be provided via official ways through Aurora Cosplay Tournament. The Groups will be informed of the channel for the feedback (live and/or written).

1. Each judge panel (craftsmanship/performance) is eligible to award up to 60 points. In total, Group's maximum score is 120.

1. Craftsmanship (60 points in total)
   1. Each craftsmanship Judge will award Group up to 20 points.
   2. Evaluation is based on the costumes and/or props shown in the pre-judging:
      • Craftsmanship quality & difficulty
      • Material choices & detailing
      • Fit, proportions & mobility
      • Technical skill & variety of techniques
      • Make-up and wig/hairstyling
      • Character and visual accuracy
      • Recognizability
      • Justified creative changes

Assistants’ costumes are not judged.

1. Performance (60 points in total)
   1. Each Performance Judge will award Group up to 20 points.
   2. Evaluation is based on the performance during The Finals:
      • Structure & storytelling
      • Interpretation of the source material
        • Parodies are accepted. Parodies are judged based on how skillfully and insightful they represent the source material and the character.
        • Contestants should note that characters which do not have any lore or personalities officially written for them can’t be judged on this area and therefore this can negatively impact performance points.
      • Stage technique & technical execution
      • Character portrayal & stage presence
      • Use of group dynamics
      • Use of assistants 
        • Do they give something to the performance or take the spotlight from the Group members? Latter will effect points negatively.

1. Performance length: 90-210 seconds.
2. Groups have to provide the following files within given deadline: 
   1. Technical file which includes all the used sounds, music, voicelines and video.
   2. Technical form, with details of performance and technical requests (such as lighting requests).
3. All dialogue and voice acting must be included in the technical file.
   1. Microphones are not available.
   2. Commissioning dialogue from others is allowed.
4. Groups are allowed and encouraged to use background video to enhance their performance.
   1. Background video must be self-produced but art / animations / videos may be commissioned from artists such as animators / editors / videographers. 
   2. Usage of stock videos and photos is allowed.
   3. Usage of material from original source material is allowed.
5. The use of AI-generated audio, music, photos or video content is prohibited in all of its forms.
6. Groups are allowed to use assistants in their performance.
   1. Assistants are allowed to be part of the perfomance and may perform as side-characters or stage ninjas.
   2. If assistants are a part of the performance: assistants should not take the spotlight away from the actual contestants. As stated in part 27, taking too much spotlight from the actual contestants will affect performance score negatively.
7. Groups are allowed to use stage props & set pieces in their performance. Their requirements are listed below.
8. Groups are allowed to use the same performance in the National Selections and The Finals.
   1. If the Performance has been used outside of Aurora Cosplay Tournament (for example in other qualifiers), it has to be modified to be at least 50% original for Aurora Cosplay Tournament.

Stage props are allowed to be used during the performance with the following requirements:

1. Set-up and cleaning time must not exceed 30 seconds.
   1. Organizers do deserve the right to limit the amount of stage props, if the stage can’t be set or cleaned within the time limit by the stage crew.
2. All stage props must be light and easily manageable by the stage crew of four (4) persons.
   1. We recommended maximum number for set-pieces to be four (4). However…
      1. Please note that the big set pieces (like tables) require more than one crew member to move them and therefore maximum amount of pieces has to be less than four.
      2. Accordingly, if one crew member can easily move a few props at a time (such as a chair and a blanket), there maybe more props on the stage.
      3. Groups may assist the stage crew in setting up the stage.
3. Clothing and other objects that are left on the stage after the performance do count as stage props. For example: a cloak after a quick-change in performance.
4. The stage prop maximum height is two (2) meters, width two (2) meters and depth one (1) meter. If the stage prop is designed so, it can increase size on stage (such as opening doors).
5. Maximum overall weight of the props: 30kg if carried.
   1. If the prop moves on wheels, it can weigh more than 30kg.
6. All stage props must be completed before arrival to the event. Repairs are permitted if something has broken, and naturally, assembling the stage props is accepted. Building parts for the stage props is not allowed. Failing to follow this rule will eliminate the Group’s chance for placing in the Finals.
7. Contestants are in charge of the durability of their stage props.
8. All stage props have to be safe for contestants, audience and the stage crew. Aurora organizers reserve the right to restrict usage of unsafe elements.

1. Recommended video resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p) or higher. Smallest accepted resolution is 480x360.
   Frame rate: 23.976–60 fps
   Preferred format: MP4 (other accepted formats are: AVI, WMV ja MOV)
   Codec: H.265
   Please choose all the material used as high quality as possible.
2. All technical materials must be submitted by the announced deadline.

During the performance there are various elements that are prohibited for safety and fluency of the show.

1. The following items and elements are not allowed:
   1. Open flames or real fire
   2. Real weapons and airsoft guns
   3. Liquids or liquid fake blood
      1. Dried fake blood on clothes and such is allowed
   4. Confetti, petals, feathers, or other small elements that are hard or impossible to clean in 30 seconds.
   5. 18+ material
   6. Dangerous stunts that may put anyone on site in risk.

If such elements are detected during the stage practices, Aurora staff will ask contestants to adapt their performance, or in the worst case: disqualify the Group from the Finals.

1. Competitors must follow staff instructions.
   
2. Inappropriate behavior or being late from official contestant events such as judging, photoshoots and practices may affect scoring negatively or result in disqualification.
3. Aurora Cosplay Tournament follows Safe Space and anti-harassment principles. All taking part are expected to act on these principles.

1. The competition is recorded and photographed.
2. By participating in National Selections and The Finals, competitors grant Aurora Cosplay Tournament permission to use event photos and video footage for promotional and archival purposes.

1. Contestants and their assistants are provided travel to Aurora Cosplay Tournament and accommodation during their stay by the organizations.

1. Official qualifiers are organized by the ACT representative of the partner event. There may be variations on rules for national selections.