DUO COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL PREELIMINARIES
Nordic Cosplay Championship
Criteria and performance format
An international solo competition with the final taking place in July 2027 in Linköping, Sweden, during Närcon. Both the costume and the performance are judged: the stage presentation must last between 90 and 150 seconds, and the costume must be entirely self-made. Unlike the other preliminaries, participants may be supported on stage by assistants, in cosplay or not. Assistants may play supporting characters and have their own lines, but the character portrayed by the competing participant must clearly remain the main focus. The selected participant will represent Poland at the international final.
Scoring is divided as follows: costume construction – 40%, stage presentation – 40%, resemblance to the character (in both appearance and personality) – 20%. Assistants’ costumes and stage props are not judged. One reserve participant will also be selected. Travel to Sweden and accommodation during the competition are covered as part of the prize for the winner.
Important: Poland takes part in NCC 2027 as an observer country. This means the Polish finalist will perform at the final but will not be considered for any of the jury awards. They may, however, win the audience award.
Participants
The Preliminaries are open to anyone who holds Polish citizenship, or holds permanent residence in Poland and has lived in Poland for at least three years, registers for the Cosplay Competition in the “Nordic Cosplay Championship 2027 Preliminaries” category, and turns 18 by July 22, 2027.
Costumes
The costume entered in the Preliminaries must be made entirely by the participant, except for accessories such as wigs, shoes or glasses, which may be bought (any modifications to them must be the participant’s own work). Commissioned accessories are not allowed. Stage decorations do not have to be made by the participant.
The costume must recreate the outfit of a fictional character from any commercially licensed source: film, TV series, comic, animation (Asian or Western), video/console game or stage production. Cosplays may not be based on fan art or on works published without a commercial license (e.g. only on platforms such as DeviantArt). We recommend choosing a character with a distinct personality and backstory, as resemblance to the character also covers portraying their personality.
Set pieces must be light enough for 2–4 people to carry them onto the stage without difficulty.
Registration
To take part in the competition, register via the application form linked at the bottom of this page. The deadline is November 29, 2026, 11:59 PM.