Cosplay.PH returns this year as they kick things off with this year’s Cosplay Mania Series of Events: Prism Saga, starting with Cosplay Carnival 2026: Eternal Emerald last March 28–29, 2025, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Halls 1 & 2.
Let us look at Setsu-Ani‘s point of view in this spectacular two-day event, and what Cosplay.PH has brought to us in the previous week for Cosplay Carnival’s 10th anniversary.
Event doors officially open at 10:30 AM for both days of the event, with the official start of the stage activities at 1:00 PM.
Cosplay Carnival 2026 Highlights
Cosplay Carnival‘s 10th anniversary was packed for both days this year as Cosplay.PH brought back the exclusive Japanese Anime Music (JAM) Concert this year. Flower stands can be seen on display beside the event entrance for this year’s JAM Concert special guest performers, Halca, Who-ya Extended, and Naomi Payton.
Additional attractions for this year’s CosCarni are the McDonald’s booth, which features a play area with their UNO anime collab, as well as Mountain Dew’s booth at the front-center of the event hall, and a new photo op booth near the entrance that replaces last year’s See Zones of Cosplay photo op booth.
We also caught a glimpse of some of the stage activities featured for both days.
Cosplay Carnival 2026 Special Guest Cosplayer and All-Star Avenue Line-up
Aside from the spectacular stage events happening throughout the two-day event, Unorthodxdesign and Taotan also made an appearance on Day 2 with their special Q & A segment and Taotan’s special dance performance, where she cosplayed Kobo Kanaeru from Hololive-ID. She also cosplayed Agnes Tachyon from Uma Musume on Day 1.
Of course, CosCarni ’25 wouldn’t be complete without its All-Star Avenue Cosplayer Line-up, as we spotted Ashira イシゴルフ, Ac コスプレ, Jane Yu Cosplay, Eri Strawberry いちご, Jeonwoo, Katiecakey, Gyoza ちゃん, Pomponmy, Kousei – 幸星, 𝐑𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈, Carleen – Karin – 花梨, White Fang, Kyo-suke & Jeyel, ShifuCosplay, and Kael PK, over at their respective booths over the two-day event.
The Eternal Emerald Carnival’s JAM Concert
Cosplay Carnival celebrated its 10th anniversary with the early return of the Japanese Anime Music (JAM) concert as Cosplay.PH brought a two-day JAM Concert with Day 1 having the SACRA MUSIC NIGHT, which features DJ Sigird alongside two international guests, Halca and Who-ya Extended, and Day 2 with The First Takers as the opening act alongside the two aforementioned international guests as well as the third international guest, Naomi Payton.
Two of our team members, Anne and Brien, were able to join the JAM Concert, courtesy of Cosplay.PH.
The JAM concert felt like an exclusive concert featuring amazing Japanese artists. The artists having little interaction with the fans in between songs is a good experience. Each of the artists gave a different vibe, making it a diverse package experience. The fans knowing when to yell supportively is also a memorable experience that the artists seemed to appreciate. ~Brien
The JAM Concert was so much more enjoyable this time around, thanks to the guests, the staff, and the opportunity, of course. Aside from that, the JAM Concert provided diversity and inclusion to everyone’s music taste and preference. As a listener, it was magnificent, and as a media, it was a great experience to capture in frame. ~Anne
Special Announcement for FanFes 2026
As Cosplay Carnival comes to a close, Cosplay.PH announced its next event, FanFes 2026, which will be held once more at Space at One Ayala, Makati City, on May 16–17, 2026. Alongside the announcement is this year’s special guest cosplayer, making her debut appearance here in the Philippines, well-renowned Malaysian Cosplayer, Ryukku-K.
Final Overall Thoughts for Cosplay Carnival 2026
A fitting opening for the “Prism Saga” series, this has been a cherishable and memorable 10th anniversary for Cosplay Carnival, brought by Cosplay.PH for both congoers and international guests.
We at Setsu-Ani are once again grateful to Cosplay.PH for having us as one of their media partners to help cover Cosplay Carnival 2026. Special thanks to our correspondents, Franz, Jersey, Anne, Mika, Brien, and Yanreh for their coverage during the two-day event.
You can check the rest of the pictures from CosCarni ’26’s Day 1 and Day 2 albums as well as Setsu Ani‘s Album, for the two-day event coverage of CosCarni ’26, as well as our cosplayer gallery on the second page. Look forward to more upcoming announcements for FanFes 2026 over at Cosplay.PH‘s social media sites.
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