GM, COT❣️ Yuzunoko here.

Have you checked out the World Cosplay Summit 2026 results yet?

It ran for three days in Nagoya, from July 31 to August 2. It's a cosplay world championship that brings together representatives from 40 countries and regions, and counting from 2003, this was the 24th one.

The big moment is the championship final on the last day. This year it was held in the Main Hall of the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater.

Hong Kong's Monster Hunter duo takes the world title

The Grand Champions were Ar Lu and Ronnie Kou from Hong Kong. Their piece was Monster Hunter, as a pair: a Palico (the series' cat companion, called Airou in Japan) and a Hunter.

A Palico winning the whole world is just too cute (and the Hunter's armor being seriously cool on top of that is so unfair❣️)

2nd place went to Canada with Tokyo Aliens, and 3rd to Brazil with Tales of Arise. There were 10 more category awards on top of that, and Hong Kong also took the Tamakoshi Award in the Alumni category.

What you see on stage is the costumes and a two-and-a-half-minute performance. The source material has to be Japanese manga, anime, games, or tokusatsu (live-action special-effects shows). Hong Kong's team was recognized for how well-made their costumes were.

The judges included voice actor Toshio Furukawa, singer and TV personality Shoko Nakagawa, and kabuki actor Seishiro Sawamura.

Shoko Nakagawa said, "Thank you for making such wonderful costumes. I could keep looking and looking and still not get enough."

A year on the costumes, and the Palico remade three times

The organizers' report includes comments from both winners. First up, Ar Lu:

"We spent a whole year pouring our hearts into these costumes, so I'm really happy we got to perform in front of everyone. Recreating the Palico's lifelike texture was hard, and I remade it about three times. My cat was a big help as a reference, so I'm grateful. During the performance, I had cat whiskers in my pocket."

So up on that stage, cat whiskers were their good-luck charm (this is my favorite part of the whole story).

Ronnie Kou said, "I still can't believe I won."

The Hunter's armor was apparently all handmade too, and what Ar Lu really focused on was the coloring, which they explained was painted using UV lights.

A red carpet on the eve, and a parade through Osu

At the eve festival, a red carpet was rolled out on the grand staircase of Oasis 21, a landmark plaza in central Nagoya.

The governor and the mayor showed up in cosplay too. Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura came as Muzan Kibutsuji from Demon Slayer, and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa came as Himmel from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (I couldn't stop laughing. The governor showing up as Lord Muzan? That's way too powerful).

The venue also had light-ups and photo spots, so people could shoot cosplay with the night view behind them.

On August 1, the Osu Cosplay Parade made its way around Osu Kannon (a Buddhist temple) and the Osu shopping arcade. About 1,000 cosplayers took part.

Country representatives and everyday participants alike walked the streets in their own costumes. Along the route, spectators waved and took photos, and there was a marching band playing too.

The numbers from the organizers

  • Dates: Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2, 2026
  • Main venues: Oasis 21, Aichi Arts Center, and several other venues around Nagoya
  • Countries and regions: 40
  • Attendance: 259,000 (cumulative)
  • Grand Champion: Hong Kong (Ar Lu, Ronnie Kou)

The 259,000 figure is for Oasis 21, the main venue. It isn't the total for every venue in the city.

2027: November 12–14, back in Nagoya

The next summit runs from Friday, November 12 to Sunday, November 14, 2027. It's in Nagoya again. According to the official site, it's set to be big enough for more than 40 countries to take part.

Up through 2026, the summit was held in summer. Since the timing is changing, the organizers called this year "the finale of the midsummer summits."

If you want to compete as a cosplayer, you'll need to enter in advance and check the participation rules, so keep an eye out for announcements on the official site.

About this article

I put this article together from the organizers' event report and event overview, and the official World Cosplay Championship site.

Dates and entry requirements for the next summit may change. If you're thinking of applying, check the latest announcements on the official site.

Quotes from Japanese sources are our own translations.

Translated from the Japanese original.

See you next time on COT❣️