Tampa, Florida is getting a brand-new comic convention titled Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay on December 10-11 at the Tampa Convention Center. The fun-filled, two-day convention’s hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday. Organized by the same team that brought you Anime St. Pete in September and St. Pete Comic Con in January, this convention has everything from dance parties to celebrities. Keep reading to find out 16 reasons you won’t want to miss Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay!
Wonderful Reason #1: Voice Actors
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay features six notable voice actors.
- Jason Spisak, who voices Silco in Arcane and Kid Flash in Young Justice
- Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who voices Tails in Sonic the Hedgehog and Ino Yamanaka in Naruto
- Sean Chiplock, who voices Diluc in Genshin Impact and Spider-Man in Marvel’s Avengers
- R Bruce Elliott, who voices Makarov Dreyar in Fairy Tail and Pyxis in Attack on Titan
- Patricia Summersett, who voices Princess Zelda in Legend of Zelda and Hope in Assassin’s Creed: Rogue
- Laila Berzins, who voices Xiao in Genshin Impact and Demeter and Persephone in Hades
The voice actors will be signing autographs and taking photos all weekend. Additionally, select voice actors will be participating in Q&A panels as well.
Wonderful Reason #2: Cosplay Contests
There are two cosplay contests at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2022: Craftsmanship and Runway.
There will be a Craftsmanship Cosplay Contest on Saturday, December 10th. Attendees are required to pre-register for the Saturday Craftsmanship Cosplay Contest on the Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay website. Additionally, there will be $500 in cash prizes available for winners.
(cosplayer pictured above: @raisinzzinc, who won the Craftsmanship Contest at St. Pete Comic Con 2022).
Furthermore, there will be a Runway Cosplay Contest on Sunday, December 11th, which is for cosplayers who don’t specialize in craftsmanship but bring lots of personality! Winners receive a Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay medal.
Wonderful Reason #3: Nationally-Recognized Cosplay Guests
There are 8 spectacular cosplay guests attending Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2022. Come meet the experts and see their fantastic creations up close!
8 Professional Cosplayers
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay cosplay guests include award-winning craftsmanship cosplayers such as @Ginozacostuming, @Avera_cosplay, @Caseyreneecosplay, and @Plexicosplay. In addition, the event features industry professionals dedicated to giving cosplayers the instructional tools to succeed including @EvilTed_Channel and @Tockcustom. Not to mention, our spectacular cosplayers who excel in digital media marketing, as well as in their craft, @Tiarabreecosplay and @Gremmcos.
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay attendees will have the chance to meet these extraordinary cosplayers, listen to them speak in panels, and watch as they judge two unique costume competitions and the TikTok Film Festival.
Wonderful Reason #4: Video Games
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay attendees will be able to escape the crowds and play video games on the fourth floor of the convention center. Various games will be set up throughout the weekend provided by Gamers on the Edge! Gamers on the Edge is well-known for hosting local gaming tournaments in the Central Florida region and providing games at conventions such as Anime St. Pete and Tampa Bay Comic Con. At Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay, they will be hosting tournaments with prizes!
Wonderful Reason #5: Lip Sync Competition
A captivating lip sync competition will be held on Sunday, December 11th. Watch as fans lip sync, dance, and act to their favorite songs! (some performing in cosplay!) The competition will be hosted by @puppycos.png and competitors have a chance to win $200 in cash prizes.
Not familiar with lip sync competitions? Check out this video Florida Comic Cons captured at Anime St. Pete!
Wonderful Reason #6: Panels and Programming
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay offers more than 50 hours of panels and programming brought to you by fans. There will be trivia panels, in-character cosplay panels, discussion panels, instructional panels from pro-cosplayers and more! In addition, there will be Q&A panels with professional voice actors on both Saturday and Sunday.
Wonderful Reason #7: Free Cosplay Photos
Complimentary photos will be available all weekend courtesy of Nate Takes. Cosplayers will have the chance to capture high-quality photos of their cosplays. Photos will be available online after the convention.
Additionally, there will be several “Elfie” stations where guest are encourages to take their own photos with our fun backdrops!
Wonderful Reason #8: Outstanding Vendors
200 artists and retailers will be selling merchandise at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay. From POP figures to handmade creations, you’ll be able to find items from all of your favorite shows. Check out the Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay website to learn more about vendors.
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay is sponsored by Gallery Panda, who sells acrylic wall art for your favorite anime, manga, and comic book characters! Check them out in person at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay or visit their website online.
Wonderful Reason #9: Fan Art Contest
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay is hosting a Fan Art Contest on Sunday, December 11th where fans will have the chance to win $200 in cash prizes! Entrants will have 45 minutes to create a fan art masterpiece and winners will be selected after the time runs out. Art materials will be provided.
Wonderful Reason #10: Winter Wonder Fest
@Reso.idol will be headlining the idol festival at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay! They are a local 3 member idol group that writes and performs their own music. Idol groups are best known for their matching costumes, high energy dance routines, and expert lip syncing! Additionally, there will be 13 other performances at Winter Wonder Fest who you won’t want to miss! This show is being put on by @Next_stage_festivals.
Wonderful Reason #11: TikTok Film Festival
The TikTok Film Festival, pioneered at Anime St. Pete, is back and bigger than ever with $500 in cash prizes available for winners. Performances will be judged by TikTok stars, @Sarahphim.cos and @Gremmcos, as well as @Charmoniofficial member, @Shinjiinn. There is still time to submit your own TikToks! Check out the Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay website to learn more.
Wonderful Reason #12: Santa Claus
Santa Claus loves comic cons! When he heard about Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay, he decided he had to be there. Santa Claus will be available for meet and greets all weekend. What’s cuter than a photo with Santa while wearing cosplay?
Wonderful Reason #13: Delicious Food Trucks
Food trucks will be parked just outside the Tampa Convention Center for Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay attendees. The Dude and his Food, most famous for their Prime Rib Cheesesteak, as well as Pam’z Pizza Conez will be serving food all weekend.
Wonderful Reason #14: Comic Creators
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay features five notable comic creators.
- Austin Janowsky, who has worked for Marvel Comics, Image Comics, IDW, Dynamite Ent. Devil’s Due, F1rst Comics, Alias, Top Cow and others since 1994
- Sam de la Rosa, well-known for his work on Venom, Carnage, and the Symbiotes
- Tom Nguyen, who has worked on major titles such as Batman, Green Lantern, JLA, and Superman: The Man of Steel
- Omar Francia, who has worked on iconic titles like Star Wars, Mass Effect, Batman and Doom Patrol.
- Alex Saviuk, best known for his seven-year run on the first volume of Web of Spider-Man
The comic creators will be signing autographs all weekend. Additionally, Austin Janowsky is running a panel titled “Creating All-Ages Comics for the Whole Family on Sunday, December 11th at 1:00 p.m.
Wonderful Reason #15: Casper Van Dien
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay is proud to welcome Casper Van Dien to its 2022 guest line-up. Star of Star Troopers, Sleepy Hollow, Tarzan, and more, this actor is looking forward to meeting guests, taking photos, and signing autographs all weekend long.
Wonderful Reason #16: Spider-Verse Prom
@SpiderVerseFL will be hosting an all-weekend Spider-Verse themed dance party! Join Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, and Spider-Man for music, dancing, games, performances, prizes, and more in this super Spidey bash!
Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay Tickets
If you’re interested in attending Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay at the Tampa Convention Center on December 10-11, the new festive convention prioritizes prices that encourage the whole family to attend. Right now, you can buy tickets for as low as $30!
Need help finding conventions in Florida?
Florida Comic Cons publishes the Con Calendar, a curated calendar of upcoming conventions. Each convention listing includes in-depth info about the event like guests, artists and cosplay contests. In addition, there are lots of helpful links for things like buying tickets, registering as a vendor, and learning more about characters.
