India is set to host its most prestigious cosplay competition at the 2025 World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), scheduled to take place in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4, 2025. Titled the WAVES Cosplay Championship, the event is a remarkable collaboration involving Creators Street, Epiko Con, the Telangana Government, Indian Comics Association, Forbidden Media & Entertainment Association of India, Telangana VFX Animation and Gaming Association, and the Government of India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
This championship promises to be a game-changer for India’s cosplay community, showcasing the creativity and dedication of the country’s most talented cosplay artists. By providing participants with a world-class platform to exhibit their skills, the event aims to celebrate pop culture, costume craftsmanship, and artistic expression on an international level.
Participants will compete in diverse categories inspired by Indian mythology, global pop culture, anime, manga, DC, Marvel, and more. The championship seeks to empower cosplayers, enabling them to gain exposure and recognition in the expanding Entertainment and AVGC-XR sector—Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality—in India.
The competition follows a structured format to ensure fairness and transparency. Participants will first submit their entries online for review by a jury panel comprising industry experts, international guests, and professional cosplayers. From these submissions, 80 to 100 finalists will be selected and notified via email. The grand finale will be held live at the WAVES 2025 stage, where finalists will perform in full cosplay attire, showcasing their best poses and character portrayal. Winners across multiple categories will be crowned based on the jury’s evaluations of creativity, execution, and performance.
Apart from the accolades, the event offers monetary rewards exceeding $18,000, along with unparalleled opportunities for international exposure, further empowering participants to establish themselves on the global stage.
Registrations for the competition opened on March 28, 2025, and will close on April 7, 2025. Aspiring participants can find more details and submit their entries through the official website.
The WAVES 2025 summit, hosted by the Government of India, represents a milestone for the country’s Media and Entertainment industry. It is designed to be a global platform that unites industry professionals, creators, and innovators. By fostering collaboration and innovation, the summit aims to amplify India’s creative strengths and establish the nation as a hub for content creation and technological advancements.
Industries featured in the summit will include broadcasting, print media, television, radio, films, animation, gaming, sound and music, advertising, digital and social media, as well as generative AI, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and extended reality (XR).
As India’s Entertainment sector continues to expand, events like WAVES provide essential platforms to propel the nation into the global spotlight, nurturing the creative potential of a growing community of innovators and artists.
For inquiries and updates, participants and enthusiasts can follow the organizers on social media or reach out via email. Registration details are available on the official WAVES website.
