Team USA wins "World Cosplay Summit 2025" in Nagoya, Japan

The 23rd annual “World Cosplay Summit” was held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, this past weekend, concluding with the crowning of a new Grand Champion.

The event, which ran from Friday, the 1st of August, to Sunday, the 3rd of August, is one of the world’s largest festivals celebrating the art of cosplay and Japanese pop culture, with total attendance at the main venue reaching approximately 247,200 people.

The three-day festival featured a variety of programs, including a Red Carpet opening ceremony and a large-scale cosplay parade through the Osu shopping district with around 1,000 participants.

The main event, the “World Cosplay Championship 2025,” was held on the final day at the Aichi Arts Center.

The competition featured representative teams from a record 41 different countries and regions, who showcased their intricate costumes and dramatic stage performances.

This year’s Grand Champion title was awarded to Team USA.

The full results for the top three teams are as follows:

1st Place (Grand Champion): Team USA (We Need Disguises)
- Series: Fire Emblem: Engage
- Characters: Hortensia & Alcryst

2nd Place: Team France (Milou & Thaly)
- Series: Witch Hat Atelier
- Character: Coco (in two different versions)

3rd Place: Team Brazil (Kellthy & Luis Telles)
- Series: Resident Evil Village
- Characters: Mother Miranda & Karl Heisenberg

A highlight of the championship was the inclusion of special guest judges from the world of traditional Japanese theater.

The renowned Kabuki actors Kikugoro Onoe VIII and his son Kikunosuke Onoe V served on the judging panel.

In a poignant speech, Kikugoro Onoe drew a parallel between the 400-year-old art of Kabuki and modern cosplay, stating that both are a form of “love” and a way of giving shape to one’s inner self, calling the event a true “festival of peace.”

During the event’s finale, a major change to the summit’s future schedule was announced.

While the 2026 event will be held as usual in August, the World Cosplay Summit will permanently move to a new, fall schedule starting in 2027, with that year’s event to be held in November.