Anime, gaming and unparalleled creative expression are coming to St. Pete this weekend at Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2023 on December 2-3 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum. The fan-convention with a winter holiday twist features four big-name voice actors, four pro cosplayers, five contests, an idol group, and an internationally known body painter, as well as a dazzling array of activities, contests, and experiences.

Activities at the sprawling festival include a TikTok film festival, fan-run panels, cosplay competitions, a makeup/SFX competition, and even a lip sync battle. In addition, gaming enthusiasts are in for a treat with free gameplay featuring popular titles like Borderlands 3, My Hero One’s Justice 2, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Mario Kart, Paladins, and Apex Legends. The excitement peaks with a thrilling Super Smash Bros tournament where participants vie for prizes like gift cards to Unlimited Video Games and free tickets to St. Pete Comic Con 2024 and Sunshine City Scare 2024. Tickets are available now.

“We’re bringing top anime and gaming voice actors to St. Pete,” said Dewey Caruthers, convention organizer who also is responsible for three other annual St. Petersburg fan conventions: St. Pete Comic Con, Anime St. Pete, and Sunshine City Scare. “Expect to be surrounded by talented cosplayers, including many who will add a holiday twist to their costumes.”

Big-name, nationally-known guests descend on St. Pete

Anime lovers will unite around more than 20 beloved characters from hit shows like My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Chainsaw Man, Fairy Tail, Assassination Classroom, Fire Force, and A Certain Magical Index. The characters are portrayed in anime shows by the convention’s guest voice actors Austin Tindle, Katelyn Barr, Derick Snow, and Aaron Roberts.

And the atmosphere will be filled with the magic of cosplay as attendees showoff their costumes while assuming the personalities of their favorite characters. Adding to the cosplay experience will be two stellar contests: ‘Craftsmanship’ puts the spotlight on homemade costumes, and ‘Runway,’ places points on the portrayal of characters with charisma. Guest cosplayers The Star Cos, Seams Come True, Holtsclaw Cosplay, and Cinderella Cosplay – with a collective following of more than 1 million on TikTok and 150,000 on Instagram — are judges for the contests.

Plus, get ready for the holiday-themed pop you can imagine. Yume Project is a Florida-based idol group that will be performing K-pop and J-pop, with a holiday twist! The group will be performing on the main stage as well as in their alcove. In addition, they are hosting the idol showcase.

Breaking new ground, Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2023 introduces a dedicated Makeup/SFX Competition, which is certain to attract top talent. Internationally known guest body painter Nicole Hays will be a judge as well as offer free makeup/SFX/body painting demonstrations. All of this marks the first time a Florida convention has elevated makeup/SFX to a full genre with high-tier guests and a standalone competition.

Delicious themed food all weekend

One of the best parts of the weekend is that it eschews the typical greasy food of most conventions. Guests can expect dishes every bit as creative as the festival itself. Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2023 will be a foodie paradise with a variety of food trucks (three each day) as well as high-end themed-desserts, and authentic Japanese snacks. To relax and enjoy your food, there are tables outside by the food trucks as well as inside the Coliseum.

From sushi, sliders, and Japanese taiyaki, to macarons, pizza cones, and Asian-fusion street food, the lineup of food trucks and vendors is absolutely stacked. Check out the full list here.

In addition, attendees can engage in enlightening panel discussions on various topics as well as get hands-on training with cosplay workshops taught by pros. Moreover, the event offers the best shopping in the universe for nerds and geeks. Most importantly, Santa will be there for free photos.

Learn more about Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay 2023 and get tickets here.