It is each attendee’s responsibility to read the conventions policies beforehand and to enquire with Q-Con staff directly if any problems, confusion or misunderstanding occurs regarding the following. Failure to comply with these policies may result in attendance being revoked, with serious breaches potentially leading to permanent exclusion.

These policies are in place for the safety and wellbeing of all of our attendees and ignorance of them can’t be accepted from anyone cosplaying at the event.

Please respect other attendees and any boundaries they set. Be polite, ask for permission to take photographs first, and do not touch other cosplayers’, their costumes, or their props. No harassment or inappropriate behaviour of any kind will be tolerated by the convention, and doing so may result in your attendance being revoked.

General Cosplay Rules

While not mandatory, Cosplay is welcome and very much encouraged! Q-Con is one of the largest events of its kind on the island of Ireland and is a great place for you to cosplay as your favourite characters.

If you do choose to Cosplay, please follow these rules:

1. The design of your cosplay and the clothing/materials you use to bring it to life must be suitable for a general audience of all ages, as such some artistic liberties may be required depending on the character.

2. Nudity or walking barefoot are not permitted in the convention even if it’s part of your character’s design.

3. Obscene clothing and offensive cosplay are not permitted in the convention and anyone dressed in such will be excluded from the event by organisers. 

4. No skates, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, “Heelys™”, or any other form of bladed or wheeled footwear is permitted for use at the convention for health and safety reasons. These may be used as props or accessories for your cosplay but they must only be carried, without any dangerous bladed or sharp edge exposed, and if put down should not be left unattended.

5. Cosplay shouldn’t be painful, and your costume shouldn't cause you any physical discomfort, pain, or injury whilst you wear it. If your cosplay is too large in size, is difficult to manoeuvre, restricts vision, has a mascot type headpiece or has projecting shoulders then please have a designated companion to escort you around the convention at all times. If you require aid to be transported or walked from one part of the convention to the other then please have a companion to accompany you, especially in high traffic areas of the convention such as the Trade Hall and Artists Alley.

Props and Accessories Rules at Q-Con 2024

All props and accessories must follow the official Q-Con Cosplay, Accessories and Props rules! As every prop is unique and made using different construction techniques and materials, certain props may require inspection by Q-Con volunteers to ensure that it cannot easily cause injury to others and that it is appropriate for an open to the public event.

Individual props and accessories may be challenged or permitted on a “know-it-when-you-see-it” basis, however no exceptions will be made in regard to the following:

1. Very large or unwieldy props are not permitted in any indoor part of the convention for health and safety reasons. Your costume, props and accessories must be able to fit through a normal door unhindered and should not be of a size or weight that would encumber yourself or others.

2. Larger props and ultra-realistic / realistic-style prop weapons are only allowed into the convention at the discretion of the Q-Con organisers, and may be required to be kept out of public areas to be used only for costume judging or photography.

3. All attendees carrying large props or prop swords, daggers, bat’leths, bats, prop replica firearms or other prop weapons must present them to be inspected and judged as safe by convention volunteers at the convention Registration desk before being admitted into the convention.

4. To make Q-Con as fun and smooth as possible for you and others, Q-Con volunteers may require that certain authentic looking prop weapons judged as safe are visibly and non-permanently “tagged” to prevent the need to repeatedly check that prop; any person who refuses to reasonably allow a prop to be tagged will not be permitted to bring that prop into the convention. 

5. No edged weapons with live blades or points are allowed into the convention. Any blunt edged objects heavy enough to cause bludgeoning damage — wooden and steel bats included — are also not allowed into the convention. 

6. All firearm-type prop weapons must not be capable of discharging a projectile, propellant, or accelerant. Firearms, airguns (both working and deactivated), paint guns, water guns, sprays, torches etc. are not allowed into the convention under any circumstances. Nerf guns are permitted into the convention but must be unloaded at all times. Nerf guns which require batteries to be operated must not have any batteries installed whilst attending the convention.

7. All handgun and other firearm related replicas/props must be easily recognised as a replica from a distance – such as feature bright orange caps/markings on the edge of the barrel, be a fluorescent bright colour, etc. Any replica firearm prop that does not have anything to immediately distinguish it from a real firearm will not be allowed into the convention.

8. Actual archery equipment such as compound or recurve bows, crossbows etc. are not allowed in the convention. No loose arrows or darts, either tipped or blunted, are allowed in the convention and any bows (either bought or homemade) should not be strung tightly enough to be able to hold tension.

9. All prop weapons must be able to be holstered, sheathed or slung in an approved, controllable fashion.

10. Signs and similar accessories with contentious wording to the effect of “free hugs”, “step on me”, any other sign inviting physical contact, etc. are not permitted to be worn or displayed within the convention.

11. All props and accessories must be reasonably suitable for a general public event; they must not be of a sexually explicit or suggestive nature and must not reference events or ideals of an offensive or inflammatory nature.

12. Props and accessories which would require cleaning up after use such as confetti, flower petals, water or anything that will litter the convention is not permitted within any area of the convention.

13. Any illegal, criminal or prohibited-to-carry property must not be brought near or within the convention. 

14. All Masquerade contestants planning to carry prop weapons at Q-Con 2024 as part of their costume must also present their prop weapons for inspection upon arrival at Convention Registration.

15. If your costume, prop or accessories would feature sharp edges, points, or any other factor that could cause injury to others, you MUST sand, file or smooth off the edges or it will be deemed dangerous and will not be allowed into the convention.

16. Actions which could cause injury with prop weapons, props or costumes such as horseplay, duelling, fighting, running, swinging etc. are not tolerated and may result in you being asked to leave the event.

17. Any potentially dangerous actions involving weapons or props at the Convention (including on-stage/backstage at the Variety Show or Cosplay Masquerade) will result in automatic disqualification from Q-Con Cosplay Events.

18. Venue security staff have final authority over whether any item/article/weapon can be brought into the building. Anyone found attempting to circumnavigate their decisions may have their attendance revoked.

19. Any weapons which fail to meet safety criteria must be immediately and discreetly returned to non-accessible storage (e.g. your home, hotel room, vehicle or cloakroom) for the duration of the convention. Q-Con will not keep or accept any responsibility for props not allowed into the convention.