This year’s Masquerade on-stage costume competition (or cosplay competition for those who favor that term), a tradition at the convention since 1974, will be Saturday evening, July 26, starting at 8:30 p.m. The event celebrates not only the importance of costuming to the popular arts, but also the amazing costume creations that our attendees create and bring to the convention. The costume presentations, intermission entertainment, and then awards presentation will run about two and ½ hours and be set in the San Diego Convention Center’s 3,900-seat Ballroom 20, with overflow seating available and large projection screens in the Sails Pavilion and in a second ballroom. Not a dance or party as the name may imply, it is similar to the style of a talent show, set on a large stage in front of an audience, presenting amazing costumes crafted by our non-professional but still highly creative and talented attendees. Most costumes will be impressive re-creations from movies, television, anime, comic books, fantasy art, Broadway shows, and video games; others will be completely original designs from the imagination. Some entries will be solo costumes; others will be groups with a shared theme, and no purchased costumes are allowed. No flash photography is allowed of the stage presentations, but non-flash photography and video recording are welcome. There is no additional cost to participate, or to have a seat in the audience, for anyone with a Comic-Con badge valid for Saturday.
