Montreal Comiccon draws 60,000 fans in costumes through Sunday at Palais des congrès
The three-day convention welcomes cosplayers, 30+ celebrity guests, and a 50-person masquerade competition through July 6.
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Wigs, foam swords, elaborate silicone armor, and princess gowns have started filling Palais des congrès as Montreal Comiccon kicks off Friday. The three-day convention runs through July 6, and expects to welcome at least 60,000 attendees.
People have traveled from across Canada, the U.S., and France to attend. Visitors from Nova Scotia drove in after crafting their own costumes using a 3D printer, silicone, and fabric. Gilles Lefebvre, a septuagenarian who calls himself Captain Quebec, has been suiting up since 1996 — he now rolls through the convention on a decorated tricycle documenting his character's history with photos.
More than 30 guests from film, video games, and animation will be present throughout the event. The masquerade competition alone draws 50 cosplayers presenting characters from movies, video games, animation, and comics. Judges evaluate both technique and craftsmanship, and performers' on-stage interpretation of their characters. One cosplayer spent 80 hours constructing a Genshin Impact outfit that already won her a masquerade prize.
Most attendees build their costumes by hand — the convention celebrates ingenuity and handmade craft as much as fandom itself. The energy reads like Halloween before its time, with the city's streets likely to see costumed crowds moving between venues over the next two days.
