Some hot glue gun fun, or what the Cosplay Zone has that’s tailor made for you?

27 May 2025

Competitions

The Masquerade, which is one of the most important events of the entire Pyrkon program. It is a cosplay competition, during which you will impersonate characters from comics, films, books or anime. You will admire a show full of lights and music and compete for unique prizes. The winners will represent Poland at the World Cosplay Championships Extreme Cosplay Gathering 2026 in Paris! The jury will include experienced and titled cosplayers – Trine, Shirak and Talon. In addition, this year’s Masquerade will be enriched by the performance of the talented singer Wonder! As a reminder, the application form remains open until June 1, 2025.

For those who value creative freedom, the Own Design competition will be perfect. Fanarts, original designs, interpretations – you are completely free to choose from whatever you like! There are prizes in two categories, jury awards, as well as a special CD PROJEKT RED award for costumes referring to one of the studio’s titles. The jury includes Anhyra, Kuba Dobrenko and Bish, whose experienced eyes will appreciate your efforts. As in the case of the Masquerade, registration lasts until June 1, 2025 – the form can be found here.

This year’s competitions are supported by the co-organizer of the Cosplay Zone – the National Centre for Culture. Thanks to them, you can count on even more sensations than a year ago!

How to cope on stage?

Our guest knows how and is happy to teach you! Wonder will give a lecture (on the Cosplay Stage, of course!), during which you will learn some secrets of stage presentation and performance preparation. It is no accident that she’s the one giving it! Wonder will share her experience as a singer and cosplayer with you, and thanks to her advice you will be able to take your performance to the next level. Learn to engage the audience and be remembered!

Costume exhibition

Take a closer look at the details of the outfits that won first prizes in the competitions! Embroidery, paintings, sculptures, constructions that defy gravity – in a word, craftsmanship and amazing, handcrafted details that you won’t see when the cosplayer is standing far away on stage.

There’s never too much knowledge

Other program events promise to be just as exciting! Our guests are experts in their fields. There is plenty to choose from! Take part in makeup workshops with Shirak – a specialist in SFX makeup. Learn all about Extreme Cosplay Gathering from the Polish national team and admire their costumes for the finale. Details on the background of cosplay competitions will be presented to you by Kula – last year’s representative of Poland at the ECG in Paris. Trine will teach you the secrets of airbrush and weathering – deliberate aging and soiling of the costume – after all, an apocalyptic prop should not be shiny and new. Do you want to learn how to interpret and choose colors? Designer Kuba Dobrenko will prepare a handful of tips to take away from the lecture on the color black. Anhyra will have a program event, during which she will explore the topic of sculpting in the process of creating outfits. For those of you hungry to know about performances, a small feast will be prepared by Bish and Talon.

Photos with guests? High fives? Questions?

Or maybe all of the above? You’re invited to attend meetings with the cosplayers! This is the time and space for a commemorative photo, an autograph for your collection and asking all your questions about cosplay techniques, advice and opinions.

A photostudio

It’s easy to forget to immortalize weeks of work on a cosplay. No worries! The photo studio will be ready for your arrival. The experienced eyes of our photographers will make sure that your costumes look great in the photos. This year, we can again count on DIVBOR Foto Studio. Choose the right background – you’ll have three to choose from – and get started! Your wallets can stay in your bags. The photo studio is free of charge. We hope you are practicing poses already!

Open cosplay shows

A creature from a book? The protagonist of a film? A character from an RPG session? A forest gnome? Show your costumes off to Pyrkon-goers – there will be a place for everyone on the stage! Every day there will be open shows during which you will show off your creations. No registration, no assessment, no stress. All you have to do is change your clothes and get on stage! 

Dieselpunk set design

For fans of cyberpunk, retrofuturistic vibes and realistic props, we have just the thing they like. Visit the point prepared by LarpVenture and experience Dieselpunk and Cyberpunk on your own. A great opportunity to take a picture, admire the details of the set design and costumes and feel the atmosphere! Take advantage of the knowledge and experience of a team that has organized international larps. From them, you will learn everything about playable scenery and costumes.

The Villages

You will find experienced cosplayers not only on stage. For those of you looking for a little immersion, villages full of your favorite characters will be prepared. Dragon Cosplay Team, Project Genshin and Project League will prepare them for you. Talk to a team who, like you, is fascinated by the topic, take a picture, take part in a quiz, play a thematic game and take part in workshops. And it’s just the beginning!

Cospital – your cosplay as good as new

Even the best foam armors sometimes fall apart, and the most beautiful buttons get ripped off – always at the least appropriate moment. But there is no costume that cannot be saved! Thanks to the talented creators from Cosplay Craft, you do not have to worry about any damage and you will learn how to make the next cosplay more durable. Come to the repair area, where you will find sewing machines, a few helping hands and enough hot glue so that there is no trace of damage to the costume in a few moments. Repairs are free of charge – just wait in line for service. However, it is not possible to finish your costume here. And just as in a regular hospital blood is drawn by a nurse and the patient does not touch the syringe, here repairs are carried out by members of the Cosplay Craft team and their machines and equipment cannot be used without permission. We know that broken cosplay can spoil the mood, but please be patient – some outfits may require more time and attention – it’s going to be your turn soon, too!

Changing rooms

We understand that some elements of the outfit are delicate and are not suitable for traveling in by car or tram. Take your costume with you and use the changing room! Whether you turn into an elf on Saturday morning or a participant after a full day of excitement – we have space for it. Remember to take all your stuff with you. You cannot store your outfit or backpack in the changing room.

The Cosplay Zone is co-organized by the National Center for Culture.

The Masquerade and Own Project Competitions are co-organized by the National Center for Culture.

The event is part of the Cultural Program of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council organized by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.