The Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Fest Executive Committee, which includes Dwango Co., Ltd., Toshima Ward, Sunshine City Co., Ltd., Animate Co., Ltd., and Hacosta Co., Ltd., will hold the large-scale Halloween event for cosplayers, "Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Fest 2025," for three days from Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th, 2025.
The Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival is one of Japan's largest Halloween events, held annually since 2014 mainly in the Ikebukuro East Exit area of Toshima Ward. Last year, a record 161,000 people attended over the three days.
This year, we will be improving the reception environment to make it easier for overseas visitors, whose numbers are increasing year by year, to participate, and will also be expanding plans for parents and children, such as pre-event workshops, with the aim of making this an event that can be enjoyed by a wider range of people than ever before.
As part of the regular events, the main stage at Naka-Ikebukuro Park will host "Nico Nico Cosplayction," where people can show off their best cosplay, and "Parent-Child Halloween." On Ikebukuro's main streets, temporary pedestrian-priority roads will be set up, and the "Ikeharo Cosplay Parade" will see around 400 cosplayers parade through the streets.
The event will kick off in the evening of Friday, October 24th, and will run all day for two days, on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th. On the first day, the 24th, Ikebukuro Sunshine City will host "Ikeharo Night," where you can enjoy a slightly different experience from the daytime event, such as a photo session that takes advantage of the night view and the situation, and opportunities for cosplayers to interact with each other.
Details of each event and additional information will be announced at a later date. Tickets will go on sale from Friday, September 5, 2025.
*Participants in "Ike Haro Night" must be 18 years of age or older (high school students are not permitted to enter).
■The official website for the "Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival" is here → https://ikebukurocosplay.jp/
<Comment from Toshima Ward Mayor Miyuki Takagiwa>
The number of visitors to the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival has been increasing every year, with over 160,000 people attending last year.
Cosplay culture has now become one of Japan's most representative cultures. The fact that this wonderful festival is being held in the Ikebukuro area of Toshima Ward, a mecca for manga and anime, embodies the three principles of the "Toshima Ward Basic Plan" formulated by the ward this year: "Everyone is always the main character," "Everyone is connected," and "An enviable town where encounters and smiles bloom."
As a ward, we will do our utmost to create a safe and secure environment so that local residents and all participants can fully enjoy this, one of the largest cosplay festivals in the country.
I will also be cosplaying and looking forward to seeing you all!
<Scenes from last year's "Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2024">
Scene from the venue
Special Ceremony
parade
Event Overview
Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025 Powered by dwango
Date and time: Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th, 2025
└October 24th (Friday) 16:30-22:30
October 25th (Sat) and 26th (Sun) 10:00am – 6:00pm
Venue: Ikebukuro area
Organized by: Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival Executive Committee
Co-organized by: Toshima Ward, Sunshine City
Management and production: Animate Co., Ltd., Dwango Co., Ltd., Hacosta Co., Ltd.
Cooperation: acosta!, COSPLAY MODE, World Cosplay Summit
Official website: https://ikebukurocosplay.jp/
English version : https://ikebukurocosplay.jp/en/
Official X: https://x.com/niconico_cos
[Dwango Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department] Press release
<Past related articles>
"Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2024" to attract record-breaking 161,000 visitors – First-ever three-day event attracts many parents and children, as well as visitors from overseas
