Bringing the World of Tales of Arise to the Stage: Interview with Brazil's Third-Place Team at World Cosplay Championship 2026

The World Cosplay Summit 2026 was held over three days from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2, bringing cosplayers from 40 countries and regions together in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, the host city.

On Day 2, August 2, the World Cosplay Championship 2026 took place at the Main Hall of the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, with the title of the world's No. 1 cosplayer on the line. Rankings were decided by combined scores from an advance costume review and a 2-minute-30-second stage performance featuring props and screen visuals, judged by a panel that included voice actor Toshio Furukawa and singer/talent Shoko Nakagawa.

Taking third place was the Brazilian representative duo Avner and Gih. Dressed as Alphen and Shionne from Tales of Arise, they delivered a performance that showcased careful attention to how each of their character items was presented.

In addition to placing third, the Brazilian representatives also received the Assist Wig Award (Wig Division) as a special prize. At the post-event press conference, they reflected with emotion, saying, "Becoming Brazil's representatives was a dream we had chased for a long time. We're so happy to have been able to come to Japan and receive two awards."

Asked what they focused on in their performance, they answered, "Syncing our sword movements together. We practiced that a lot, so I think that's the point we cared about most."

It was also announced that the World Cosplay Summit 2027 will move from summer to autumn. Here's hoping the cosplay scene that captivates fans around the world keeps growing even bigger.

World Cosplay Summit 2026
Dates: Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026
Venues: Oasis 21 / Aichi Arts Center (Main Hall) / Hisaya-odori Park / Osu Shopping District / Hisaya-odori Teien Flarie / Central Park / Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER / SLOW ART CENTER NAGOYA

(C) 2026 World Cosplay Summit. All rights reserved.