Cosplay FAQ
You’ll be wearing a costume and have questions about this? We have the answer!
General questions
Q: Is the entrance free for cosplayers?
A: No. Like all attendees, cosplayers must have an entrance ticket. Buy your tickets before the festival to get a discount.
Q: Is there a place for changing?
A: Japan Expo Marseille is setting up changing rooms inside the festival so that you can change into your costume at the festival.
Q: I need to carry large accessories / parts of my costume in a big suitcase. Can I?
A: You can come with your baggage or bag. You just have to go through security checks. Read this page for more about the items you can bring with you.
Q: Are some types of costumes forbidden?
A: Yes, in respect of the current security level in France, costumes resembling military, police, SWAT… costumes are forbidden.
All weapon replicas are strictly forbidden, whatever they are made of. Only harmless replicas of fantasy weapons are allowed, on the condition that they bear strictly no resemblance with a real weapon and are made of harmless material only, such as foam, cardboard, light wood, or worbla.
About the elements composing the costumes
Q: Can I wear a mask?
A: Masks are allowed but you’ll have to take them off at security checks.
Q: Can I wear make-up?
A: Make-up is allowed if your face remains easy to recognize. If you want to cover the whole of your face, you can do it in the changing rooms inside the festival, after security checks.
Q: Are sewing kits and "cosplay" tools allowed?
A: You are allowed to bring glue, paint, make-up, and a sewing kit.
Q: Can I bring accessories?
A: Metal accessories are forbidden. Accessories will be allowed in if they’re made of plastic, fabric, polystyrene, worbla, cardboard, foam, resin, leather, or light wood. Blunt objects as well as any item that could be used as a weapon, made of metal, wood, or another material, are forbidden, whatever their shape or special features (sticks over 20 cm – like knitting or bun sticks –, barres...). Click here to read the security rules of the festival.
We remind you that on site, security agents are the only ones who can tell which objects are allowed in or not.
Q: Can I bring a weapon replica if it doesn’t contain any forbidden material?
A: ONLY HARMLESS REPLICAS OF FANTASY WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED, ON THE CONDITION THAT THEY BEAR STRICTLY NO RESEMBLANCE WITH A REAL WEAPON and only made of harmless material such as foam, cardboard, light wood, or worbla.
Q: What are the materials allowed in costumes?
A: Your costumes may be made of plastic, fabric, polystyrene, worbla, cardboard, foam, resin, leather, or light wood. Metal objects, or objects including metal pieces, are forbidden.
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Other questions
Q: I have another question! What do I do?
A: You can read the attendees' guide here and the other information pages, and if it still does not answer your question, send us a message and we’ll find the answer! Use the "Contact us" section of the website and be careful when choosing the type of request, it will be easier for us to find the answer.