The Kingdom of Morocco has completed its second official participation in the World Cosplay Summit (WCS), held from July 31 to August 2, 2026, in Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Japan, confirming the continuity of its commitment to the largest international event dedicated to cosplay. Represented by its national duo, Ssshams and Panzermalkin, selected during the official qualifiers held in Morocco at MGE 2026, an event held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom took part in all the protocol, cultural and competitive activities of this 24th edition of the world summit.

According to the official report published by the organizing committee, the 2026 edition brought together representatives from 40 countries and territories, following Vietnam's last-minute withdrawal, while more than 30 other countries have already expressed interest in joining the World Cosplay Summit in the coming years. The event's main venue, Oasis 21, welcomed nearly 259,000 visitors over the three days of festivities, while approximately 1,000 cosplayers took part in the traditional Osu Parade, making this edition one of the largest ever held.

The program began with official visits to the local authorities of Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, illustrating the diplomatic and cultural dimension of the World Cosplay Summit. The national delegations, including Morocco's, then took part in the red-carpet ceremony held at Oasis 21, before participating in the numerous public activities, international meetings, photo sessions and cultural events intended to promote exchanges between cosplay communities from around the world.

The event's highlight took place on August 2 with the final of the World Cosplay Championship 2026, held in the main theater of the Aichi Arts Center. The teams representing the 40 countries and territories presented their performances before a jury that included Japanese singer and personality Shoko Nakagawa, voice actor Toshio Furukawa and kabuki actor Seishiro Sawamura. At the end of the competition, the Hong Kong delegation won the Grand Champion title with a performance inspired by Monster Hunter, ahead of Canada and Brazil.

Winners wcs2026

Beyond the competition, Morocco's participation is part of an international recognition dynamic initiated with the Kingdom's official integration into the World Cosplay Summit. This second consecutive appearance now confirms Morocco as one of the nations that regularly participate in the world championship, while also helping to increase the visibility of Moroccan creators, artisans and cosplayers among foreign delegations, Japanese organizers and international players in popular culture.

It should also be recalled that the two Moroccan representatives, who received their award personally from the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, are also the first Moroccan cosplayers to have been welcomed by the Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom, as part of the support provided by the Embassy to Morocco's cosplay community.

This participation also continues the efforts led by Manga Afternoon, the official organizer of the Moroccan qualifiers, which has worked for several years to integrate the Kingdom into major international events dedicated to cosplay and to promote national talent on the global stage. Morocco's presence in Nagoya thus represents another step in the development of cultural exchanges between the Kingdom and Japan through popular culture.

The World Cosplay Summit organizing committee also announced that the 2026 edition was the last to be held during the summer season. Starting in 2027, the event will be held from November 12 to 14 in Nagoya, as part of a new strategy intended to facilitate international participation and continue the summit's expansion, with the stated goal of eventually bringing together 100 countries and territories.