Cosplay Rules & Guidelines

Cyprus Comic Con is a family event that encourages costumes. It is necessary to balance the desire of some of our attendees to accurately portray characters or display items from their collections with the safety of our attendees of all ages, the concerns of the police and local authorities, the terms of the venue, and conditions of the insurers.

To ensure rules compliance, a costume and weapon check will be performed on every cosplayer entering the event.

Cyprus Comic Con reserves the right to confiscate props or withdraw access to the event without refund (if applicable), to anyone deemed to be breaking the following rules. At their discretion, Cyprus Comic Con may alternatively grant dispensation for a costume, weapon or prop usually forbidden by these rules.

Attires & Costumes

  • No nudity. Indecent exposure is unacceptable nor are fake, costume, or prosthetic genitalia allowed on display.
  • Skimpy costumes are permitted. An amount of coverage comparable to typical swimwear is fine. If planning a skimpy or delicate costume it is recommended that you take extra precautions beneath the costume to avoid exposing yourself.
  • Any attendee wearing a bulky costume, or one with poor visibility, should have a handler available to escort him/her. Please ensure bulky costumes are properly ventilated to prevent heat stroke.

Weapons & Props

  • Any weapons or replica weapons that are either banned outright or subject to any restrictions from being carried OR sold in this country should not be brought by attendees regardless of any special licences, club memberships or training. Read about Cyprus gun laws here.
  • Projectile weapons (including water pistols, nerf, bb guns) must be disabled and unloaded.
  • Realistic-looking weapons should be marked with an orange safety tip indicating that they are fake.
  • Bladed weapons (such as swords, daggers or ninja stars) or props/costume parts which are sharp or pointy enough to cut or pierce someone with moderate pressure will be confiscated. Otherwise, (if possible) they will be peace-bonded (zip-tied to their cases) to prevent them from being unsheathed. Violation of a peace-bind will result in confiscation.
  • Solid props which are heavy enough to bludgeon someone with a moderate force swing should be handled with care.
  • Attendees will not brandish, point, flail, play-fight, run with, or use their prop in offensive manner. Any weapon used as such will be confiscated.
  • Confiscated weapons and props will be held at the cosplay booth until the end of the day.
  • Remember there are also restrictions from venues, police, and local authorities. If attendees have any queries regarding the display or transportation of a weapon or prop outside of the hall, it is their responsibility to contact the relevant authority. Police may have confiscated items destroyed without warning. Attendees bring items to an event at their own risk.

During the Stage Show

  • Refrain from using profanity or engaging in any actions involving objects, gestures, messages on signs or clothes with racist, pornographic, or violent connotations.
  • Do not use any sort of projectile at all! Nothing must leave your person while you are on the stage.
  • No explosive devices, pyrotechnics or similar special effects are to be used.
  • No liquids of any kind are allowed.
  • Do not bring anything that might dirty the stage such as glitter or confetti.

Other Rules

  • A costume which has received a top 3 Place award during a Cyprus Comic Con Main Event Cosplay Competition will not be accepted to compete for a second time. The cosplayer can of course compete with a different costume.
  • Cyprus Comic Con reserves the right to turn down an application for the contest if the applicant is deemed to be extensively more experienced than the local cosplay community which is still young.
  • Abuse in any form, verbal, physical or social, towards a cosplayer (or any other person) can result in the abuser’s expulsion from the convention. Physical contact without consent, badmouthing, hateful comments and any other kind of inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated. Cosplayers who feel like you’re being abused, find the nearest volunteer, organiser or security guard and report the person abusing you!

 

If you have any questions contact the Cyprus Comic Con team by emailing team@cypruscomiccon.org.