Cosplay and Prop Rules

The team at ACME love to see your cosplays and creations! We want everyone to enjoy their time at our events and have a safe and fun experience; free of harm, injury or hate. Please adhere to our guidance below which reflects the rules of the venue and that of the law in conjunction with health and safety.

Please be aware that all of these rules apply whilst inside the venue and not just in our event areas.

Attic Conventions and Media Events (ACME) reserve the right to deny entry, cancel tickets without refund or withdraw access to anyone deemed to be breaking these rules. ACME and the Security staff for event and venue reserve the right to confiscate prohibited items or any item/prop/weapon deemed to be a probable nuisance or having the ability to cause injury. If an item is confiscated, and can be legally returned to you, then you can request this be collected as you leave the event and venue.

No exceptions are made, and this includes special licenses/training/memberships etc. Police can destroy confiscated items without need for notice. Items brought by attendees to the event are at their own risk.

BANNED ITEMS

  • Firearms of any form including, but are not limited to, rifles, BB guns, airsoft, paintball guns, realistic replica toys, and deactivated guns.

  • Glass or glass bottles

  • Alcohol

  • Cigarettes and E-cigarettes

  • Metal blades of any form - regardless of whether it is sharp or blunt e.g., swords, knives, axes, ice skates, kunai, shuriken, etc.

  • Bats, clubs, paddles, etc. made of wood or hard/heavy material e.g., baseball bats (wood/metal), hockey sticks, golf clubs, etc.

  • Projectile weapons that are functional such as bows or crossbows, slings, catapults, etc.

  • (We will accept loosely strung or unstrung bows).

  • Laser pointers/pens

  • Drones

  • Sharp items such as nails, needles, arrows, darts, etc. including anything protruding from props that is sharp

  • Anything that produces fog, smoke, or vapour

  • Pressurised containers/gas containers

  • Power tools/Heavy tools e.g., drills, chainsaws, crowbars etc.

  • Chemicals or chemical weapons/explosives and incendiary devices I.e., pepper spray, mace, etc.

  • Items restricted and prohibited by law for example bokken, knuckledusters, nunchaku, etc.

  • Heavy items that have the potential to be used as a weapon

  • Selfie Sticks/extended sticks for camera/video devices

  • Silly string, glitter, confetti, party poppers, vuvuzelas etc.

  • Rollerblades/skates, scooters, skateboards, battery-operated go-karts, segways, hoverboards, etc. are not permitted inside the venue

  • Remote control items cannot be used inside the venue i.e., RC cars

BOUGHT AT THE EVENT

Items on prohibited lists, bought at the event, MUST remain in the packaging they were bought in. The exhibitor may offer postage if it is lawfully unable to be carried in public. Buying items at the event does not allow the right for them to be brought out while there.

Permission for exemption to these rules can only be obtained from ACME by sponsors or exhibitors on a case-by-case basis.

COSPLAY APPROPRIATE/PERMITTED PROP ITEMS

  • Items which are made from lightweight materials (e.g foam, plastic, lightweight wood, paper/cardboard). Avoid materials that could shatter into sharp pieces.

  • Practical items such as umbrellas, walking sticks etc.

  • Lightweight items – e.g., rolling pins, vegetables, pans (NOT heavy/cast iron) and racquets.

  • Most musical instruments, such as violin, guitar etc.

  • Whips - only if kept coiled.

  • Lightsabres

  • Lightweight plastic or foam prop weapons, such as clubs, paddles and bats etc.

  • Unrealistic and toy guns that are clearly science fiction or sourced from modern programming i.e., made of brightly coloured plastics, phasers, blasters, plasma guns, made with flashing lights and stickers. Replica firearms MUST have a red/orange tip that is visible at all times.

  • Please note - Maximum length/height of props is 150cm; 100cm for shields. If your item exceeds this, then it must be able to be dismantled into smaller pieces without tools, in order to be transported around crowded areas.

  • ACME and SEC staff reserve the right to confiscate ANY items (banned or permitted), if misused.

ATTIRE AND COSTUMES

Similar applies as above – no sharp edges or objects are allowed. No unlawful items allowed.

The maximum dimension of a costume is 2.5 metres between any 2 points, excluding parts which collapse/fold and sections like fabric trains. Please have a guide with you if your costume or attire includes parts made of bulky/hard materials which are outwith human dimensions (armour, fur suits etc.).

Nudity is not permitted and nor is replica/ prosthetic genitalia. No adult fetish attire/extreme BDSM gear or sexual items.

Skimpy costumes are permitted but not to the point of negligible coverage (less than typical swimwear). Please take extra precautions to maintain dignity if costume malfunction were to occur.

Please remember we run family friendly events with attendees of all ages.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that it is the responsibility of the attendee to ensure that their wristband or handstamp can be placed on skin and not over clothes or a costume (only permitted at ACME’s discretion). Staff cannot assist you to remove costume parts to do this. If wearing a lanyard, this must always be worn over the neck and visible.

Please take care when transporting weapon props to the venue, regardless of how realistic/unrealistic it looks. Be aware of the law at all times and keep weapon props covered or hidden where possible during transportation, in order to avoid causing distress or alarm to the general public. Please be aware of your surroundings and attire as not everyone is aware of/familiar with cosplay.

ACME and SEC reserve the right to intervene in the case of costumes or attire deemed to include any of the following: profanities; sexual acts/pornographic imagery; inciting of hate or crime; insensitive or unnecessary use of makeup/face paint/body paint; any uniforms, flags, or emblems of organisations responsible for crimes against humanity.

If you require any additional guidance on your attire/prop, then please feel free to contact us to

discuss this with our team; acmecosplayteam@gmail.com