NIGHT DARLING COSPLAY COMPETITION 2024
ROYAL SONESTA KAUA’I RESORT
JUNE 8TH 

MAIN STAGE

(KEIKI DIVISION) TBA

(UPPER DIVISION) TBA 

 

These rules are for all competitors in The Night Darling Cosplay Contest. If you are a cosplayer, but not interested in entering the contest, you’re still welcome to show off your skills! Our cosplay guidelines give you an overview of what costumes are appropriate without all the details necessary for our costume contest entrants. 

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*PLEASE READ ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE LOTS OF CHANGES* (Updated 3/19/2023) 

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1. MASKS ARE *NOT REQUIRED* FOR COSPLAY COMPETITIONS. (IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL PLEASE STAY HOME AND GET BETTER! THERE WILL BE OTHER COSPLAY COMPETITIONS!

2. ENTRY – Entry into the costume contest does not have an additional cost. BUT DOES REQUIRE EARLY OR LIMITED SPACE ON THE “DAY OF REGISTRATION”. 

3. ADVANCE REGISTRATION – There will be online registration this year for there are only 20 spots available. Day of registration will be available with very limited space. So please do not wait for the “Day of” registration. It would be best to sign up early! Online Registration will be available on our Kauai Comic Con Website under “COSPLAY CONTEST ADVANCE REGISTRATION”. 

4. DAY-OF REGISTRATION (SATURDAY) – We will allow day-of registration at the Night Darling Cosplay Booth please ask volunteers where the booth is located. Sign-ups start at 11 am on Saturday (June 8th) and will close at 2 pm SHARP. There will be a cap of 25 contestants. So we urge you to please sign up early at our ONLINE REGISTRATION to secure your spot. 

  

5. JUDGING

 

• PRE JUDGING WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR. PRE JUDGING WILL BE HELD AT THE MAIN STAGE AT 3:00 PM SHARP. PLEASE BE IN COSTUME AND READY TO START THE JUDGING PROCESS. EACH CONTESTANT WILL HAVE 6 MINUTES FOR PRE JUDGING. 

• Late contestants will be disqualified! If you are running late or can't make it feel free to email info@kauaicomicconvention.com

• Judges are allowed to see (but not touch!) your costume from all angles. 

• During the competition, your points from pre-judging will be transferred over to the competition form of judging. Judges are able to ask what percentage of your costume was *MADE* and score you accordingly. 

• Only contestants and judges will be allowed in the judging area, but the public is free to look at and take photographs while judging is taking place. Keiki division can be accompanied by an adult for pre-judging. 

• We will want to hear from the child on how much they put into making their cosplay.
   

 

1. CATEGORIES :

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● Individual Upper Division – All single individual cosplayers. All spots are on a first come first serve basis. Once online registration is open there will be a total of 25 contestants this year due to safety concerns. Ages 14 and up are allowed to enter the individual upper division. 50% of your cosplay will need to be *MADE BY YOU* We will be checking during pre judging. 

● Keiki Cosplay Division – All single individual kids cosplayers. All spots are a first come first serve basis. Once online registration is open there will be a total of 20-25 contestants this year due to safety concerns. Ages 13 and under are allowed to enter the Keiki cosplay division. 30% of your cosplay will need to be *MADE* help from an adult will be granted to *SOME EXTENT*. We want to see how much your child put into making this cosplay. 

 

1. ELIGIBLE COSTUMES –
Any individual can only enter the contest one time.
Entrants are allowed to have an assistant help with last-minute repairs and preparations before the costume contest. Costume contest judges will do their best to accommodate contestants who need extra time due to emergencies and malfunctions, but in the interest of fairness, we cannot guarantee that any extra time will be allotted. 

 

1. INELIGIBLE COSTUMES – 

• No glitter, confetti, pyrotechnics, live flame, or smoke generators of any kind are allowed on the Royal Sonesta Kaua’i Resort Property. Any costume that “makes a mess” will not be allowed. 

• Costumes and props must be worn and carried with no risk of injury to people or property. 

• No darkening of the complexion with make-up or otherwise to mimic another race than that of the cosplayer. 

• The costume contest will be open to the public and observed by people of all ages. Excessive blood or gore, overly sexual, or otherwise inappropriate costumes will be ineligible for entry, and you may be asked to leave the Royal Sonesta Kaua’i Resort Property. This should go without saying, NO NUDITY, PLEASE KEEP IT TASTEFUL!!! 

 

1. PHOTOGRAPHY – Pictures will be taken during judging of all participants. By entering the costume contest, you are agreeing to allow your image to be used in future advertising efforts. 

 

• JUDGES – All decisions of the costume contest judges are final. 

• CHANGES TO THE RULES – While no changes to these rules are foreseen, certain circumstances may require that the rules be changed. Any changes to the rules will be noted on the Kauai Con Website and or social media pages. A complete set of current rules will be posted at the cosplay contest check-in tables on the day of the competition, you can find the check-in at the Night Darling Presents Cosplay Booth. 

• Please email nightdarling808@gmail.com for a copy of the rules and or any questions you may have about the cosplay competition. 

• JUDGING CRITERIA- All costumes will be judged on how much of the costume was HANDMADE/MADE. Upper division will be judged on 50% of the costume being made and Keiki Division will be judged on 30%. Judges will also be judging on how accurate your costume is to the character you pick to cosplay. The judges will be looking at the details and creativity of each costume. THERE WILL BE PRE JUDGING THIS YEAR SO NO MISINFORMATION CAN BE GIVEN! PLEASE READ ABOVE.
  
  UNACCEPTABLE PROPS:
  Any item capable of firing projectiles will not be allowed. This includes airsoft guns, Nerf guns, water guns, BB and pellet guns, and others, as we deem appropriate.
  Costume props may include LIMITED MOVING PIECES. Any costume piece made from real gun parts, even parts now rendered inoperable, are not acceptable. 

 

No props designed to appear identical to real guns are allowed, whether they are made of appropriate materials or not. A Fallout cosplayer, for example, can bring a self-built plasma rifle. Leave the Chinese Assault Rifle at home! 

 

Although some costume props may include screws or small nails, absolutely no steel will be permitted. A steel sword, even blunt or secured permanently within a scabbard, will not be allowed. The same applies to morning stars, flails, etc. Any metal other than screws and nails for construction purposes will render your costume weapon inappropriate! 

 

Other non-metallic solid materials are not permitted either. Hard rubber, fiberglass, or the like can be just as dangerous as steel and are not allowed.

 

No explosives or chemicals, including anything capable of “making a mess.”

 

ABSOLUTELY NO FIREWORKS!

PERMITTED PROPS: 

Costume or prop weapons, made of papier mache, plaster of Paris, cloth, balsa wood, worbla, foam, eva foam, cardboard, fabric, thin plastic, leather, thin wood and other prop-grade materials. 

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Bows or crossbows, provided they are strung with string, twine, or some other non-weapon grade substitute. The bow must be capable of producing no pull when drawn. Arrows or bolts must be dull. 

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Kauai Comic Con wants to provide maximum creativity to cosplayers while still keeping safety our top priority. Props will be removed from the premises when appropriate, but remember that Kauai Comic Con and Kauai Comic Con staff have the right to remove individuals from the premises as well. When in doubt, our staff will err on the side of caution, and we expect cosplayers to do the same.