GM, COT❣️ Yuzunoko here.
Any plans to be at Makuhari Messe, the convention complex in Chiba, in cosplay on October 31 and November 1?
Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in TOKYO runs for two days, October 31 (Saturday) and November 1 (Sunday), across Exhibition Halls 1 to 7 at Makuhari Messe. Doors open at 9:00 and close at 21:00. The official site says this is the largest edition yet, and it reaches beyond the halls to the nearby Aeon Mall Makuhari Shintoshin and Toyosuna Park.
Cosplay is allowed inside the venue. But the official cosplay guidelines draw the lines quite tightly.
(Going in thinking "it's a game event, anything goes" will probably get you stopped at the entrance.)
Cosplay is limited to FFXIV works
The first line of the guidelines is this one: "Cosplay inside the venue is limited to things related to Final Fantasy XIV."
Costumes from other games or anime cannot be worn inside the venue. The same applies outside, and the rules ask attendees not to cause trouble for the public, public transport or nearby shops while travelling before and after the event.
You can walk around inside the venue in cosplay. If you are in the way, though, staff may ask you to move.
180 cm high, 90 cm wide: costumes have size limits too
Entrances and walkways have limited height and width. There are costumes taller than 180 cm, and costumes that cannot pass through a 90 cm door. Either kind may not be able to move through the venue, so the guidance asks you to leave them at home.
The exception is appearing in the stage show Glamour Collection. There, costumes beyond the size limits can be worn, but while moving between the changing room and the stage they have to be broken down or otherwise kept within the limits.
(Costumes with big wings or long tails will probably trip on this one.)
Costumes also have to allow safe use of stairs with no risk of falling. Anything that trails on the floor, is very large, or has sharp projections comes off while you move, and so does anything that blocks your vision.
While seated watching the stage, do not wear costumes that block the view of the people in front, behind or beside you. That includes wigs, headpieces and small decorative props.
There are exposure standards as well. Avoid excessive skin, wear tights or stockings with miniskirts and other costumes that show a lot of skin, and do not expose underwear. Roller skates and other things you ride around the venue are banned.
Changing rooms and cloakroom are by reservation, 1,140 yen a day each
You do not change inside Makuhari Messe. The cosplay changing room and cloakroom are at Cross Wave Makuhari, near Kaihimmakuhari Station.
Both need an advance reservation, booked through the Square Enix app. The changing room is 1,140 yen a day and the cloakroom is 1,140 yen a day, and you can book only one of them.
Both are open from 8:00 to 22:00 on both days. Final admission to the changing room is 21:30. The cloakroom takes bags until 19:00 and hands them back until 21:45.
Once you have used your reserved slot, you can use the changing room again as often as you like between 13:00 and 21:30 that day, for up to 60 minutes at a time. Inside, photos and video including selfies are banned, there are no power outlets, and eating or resting is not allowed.
(If you are only changing, 60 minutes turns out to be plenty.)
Cross Wave Makuhari and Makuhari Messe are connected on foot by a pedestrian deck. A shuttle bus runs too, but only people using the changing room or cloakroom can board it. The bus between Makuhari Messe and the mall is open to everyone.
Reservations are limited, and slots close once they fill. Dates and times cannot be changed and bookings cannot be cancelled.
Photo rules: consent first, permission before posting
Photos only after the person in them agrees. The rules say not to demand poses, not to shoot in crowded places, and not to publish photos in magazines or on social media without the subject's permission.
Props have their own lines. Real blades, firearms, fireworks, hazardous materials and chemicals cannot be brought in. Imitation swords and model guns are allowed, but you cannot load or fire them. Wet fake blood and wet paint stay out too.
There is no venue power. Using the toilets to change or do makeup is banned.
There is a bag check on entry. The ticket is electronic, in the app only, and screenshots or printouts will not get you in. The wristband covers both days, and if you take it off it becomes invalid and you cannot re-enter.
Tickets are the two-day pass at 24,200 yen including tax, plus a separate 850 yen fee. The lottery closed on May 10.
Day two's Glamour Collection is a fashion show of the game and the real thing
On stage, day two brings the Glamour Collection on November 1 from 13:50 to 15:00. It is a show of "mirapuri", the in-game combination of gear appearances, presented both as real clothing and inside the game. Performers book the changing room a different way and get an email with instructions.
The stage can also be watched from seats in other halls, where giant screens are set up.
If you cannot get to the venue, the streams cover it. The free stream carries the stage programmes apart from the piano and band special lives. Those two are paid, 4,950 yen for both days plus a 660 yen system fee, on sale from October 16 to November 21, with archives until November 22.
At 21 Aeon Cinema theatres there are live viewings of the keynote and THE PRIMALS live. They are cheering screenings where you can shout and wave penlights. Being able to cheer out loud in a cinema sounds like fun❣️
About this article
This article is based on the event overview and cosplay guidelines, ticket and stage pages of the official Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in TOKYO site, and the Makuhari Messe event page. Timings and operations can change on the day. Check the official site for the latest before you go.
See you next time on COT❣️
Sources: Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in TOKYO Event Overview and Cosplay Guidelines (Square Enix) (Japanese), Tickets (Square Enix) (Japanese), Stages (Square Enix) (Japanese), Makuhari Messe Event Information (Makuhari Messe) (Japanese)