The joy of dressing up in a costume is as old as time. Think of carnival, fancy-dress parties, or the dressing-up box at school. Being a massive fan of films, books, games and comics is nothing new either. Cosplay is where these two things meet. This timeline traces a history of cosplay. It’s not a definitive account: cosplay is a culture with frayed edges.
For some, the phenomenon starts in 1983, when the word was first used in the Japanese magazine My Anime; others see cosplay in every historical form of fan culture involving costumes. Still others trace cosplay’s roots to Asian anime fans dressing up as their favourite characters in the 1970s, while some point to the influence of American science-fiction fan clubs from the early 20th century. What is certain is that the rise of the internet and large fan gatherings (conventions) from the early 21st century onwards led to huge growth in the number of cosplayers worldwide.
This timeline is therefore a selection of key moments in the culture’s development, jumping back and forth between continents, media and cultures. That gives you a layered picture of how cosplay has developed, frayed edges and all.
1877 – dancing as Captain Nemo
If you define cosplay as the combination of fan culture and wearing costumes, you can already find examples of it early in history. In 1877, for instance, the French science-fiction writer Jules Verne (known for Around the World in Eighty Days) organised a costume ball. Many of the guests came dressed as characters from his books. It would be more than 100 years before the word itself was coined, but this party already has many of the hallmarks of what we now recognise as cosplay.
1891 – the first cosplay convention?
The science-fiction book Vril: The Power of the Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton was so popular in 1891 that a huge event was organised around it. The whole of the Royal Albert Hall in London was decorated in the style of the novel, with shows and catwalks, merchandise for sale, and visitors wearing costumes based on the book’s characters. As a result, the event looked remarkably similar to how cosplay conventions still look today.
1907–1912 – the popularity of Skygack
One of the earliest science-fiction comic strips is Mr. Skygack, From Mars, which ran in American newspapers between 1907 and 1911. Fans soon started dressing up as the main character, Skygack: an alien with a long head. In 1912, August Olsen won first prize at a masked ball this way, making him likely the earliest cosplayer of whom a photo survives. But not all early cosplayers were so lucky: Otto James was arrested for going out dressed as Skygack.
1939 – the only ones in costume at the first Worldcon
Worldcon is the most prestigious event for science fiction and fantasy, where the major Hugo Awards are handed out each year. But it also played an important role in the development of cosplay. Forrest Ackerman and Myrtle Douglas attended the very first Worldcon in 1939. They assumed everyone would come in costume, but turned out to be the only ones dressed up. Their mistake inspired later attendees to dress up too, giving rise to the tradition of costumed masquerades at conventions.
1958 – the invention of elastane
Before elastane was invented, it was tricky to make clothing that fit tightly around the body while still being comfortable. When the company DuPont invented elastane in 1958 (also known as lycra or spandex), it sparked a revolution in the clothing industry, especially for sportswear and underwear. Cosplayers today can barely imagine a world without elastane fabrics: skin-tight bodysuits like Superman’s or Spider-Man’s could only be made using elastane.
1965 – the NCSF’s first meet-up
In 1965, the Netherlands’ Science Fiction Contact Centre (NCSF) is founded. On 17 December 1966, this group of enthusiasts meets for the first time in the treasurer’s living room, over ‘a lovely cup of coffee and a colossal, beautifully baked cake’. People arrive late, because ‘Batman had only just finished at 8 o’clock’, and they discuss the latest science-fiction books, the existence of antimatter, and what aliens might look like. It’s an early example of the science-fiction fan culture that cosplay would later grow out of.
1966 – ‘Beam me up, Scotty’: Star Trek on TV
On 8 September 1966, American science-fiction fans wait eagerly by their televisions for the first episode of Star Trek: The Man Trap. Over time, it grows into one of the most important science-fiction series ever made. Star Trek‘s role within cosplay is huge: many of the earliest cosplayers were fans who dressed up as the crew of the USS Enterprise. Its influence was strong in the Netherlands too, although fans here had to wait five years longer for the first episode to air.
1976 – the invention of the video tape
Technological developments can sometimes matter to cosplayers in unexpected ways. Before video tape was invented, cosplayers went to the cinema to get inspiration for the costumes of their favourite characters. Small details were hard to make out, and of course you couldn’t pause the film to take a closer look. The arrival of video tape meant cosplayers could pause the picture at home, allowing them to make far more detailed costumes.
1978 – Mari Kotani, the accidental first
In 1978, Mari Kotani accidentally became Japan’s first anime cosplayer. She attended a convention in a costume based on the science-fiction novel A Fighting Man of Mars. Her costume, however, closely resembled a character from an anime that had recently come out: Triton of the Sea. This was remarkable, since cosplaying anime characters wasn’t really a thing yet at the time. With her (mis)interpreted costume, Kotani inspired other cosplayers to cosplay anime too, helping the phenomenon grow in Japan.
1983 – the word ‘cosplay’ appears in print for the first time
It’s 1983, the masquerade at the Maryland Worldcon is about to begin, and Nobuyuki Takahashi is sitting in the audience. The journalist plans to share his experiences of the American convention in the Japanese magazine My Anime. But he struggles with which words to use: ‘masquerade’ has a different connotation in Japan, and ‘costume play’ sounds somewhat inappropriate in English. So he decides to coin a new word instead. He combines costume and play together, creating the word cosplay for the very first time.
1990 – Worldcon in the Netherlands
Political events can sometimes influence fan culture and cosplay in unexpected ways too. Take Worldcon 1990, the first and only Worldcon ever held in the Netherlands, and at the time only the second ever held in Europe. This convention took place just after the fall of the Iron Curtain, which meant a large group of Eastern European science-fiction fans could suddenly experience the convention culture of Western Europe and America for the first time — and vice versa. It was an important step in the globalisation of cosplay.
1992 – the first convention in Africa
In 1992, Africa’s first convention takes place: the ICON Comic & Games Convention in Norwood, South Africa. South Africa remains an important hub for cosplay in Africa, home to major events like Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg. But cosplay is thriving in other African countries too. Otamatsuri in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of the biggest events in Africa dedicated to anime and manga fans. In 2026, the South African delegation won the Holiday Matsuri Award at the World Cosplay Summit.
2000 – Japanese culture in the Netherlands
From the late 1990s onwards, there’s a big rise in groups of Japanese-culture enthusiasts across the Netherlands. They start organising conventions, where plenty of cosplay happens too. The oldest of these is AnimeCon, which holds its first major convention in Rotterdam in 1999. Abunai!, another big gathering for fans of Japanese culture, holds its first convention in 2003. Both conventions are still hugely popular today.
2003 – the first World Cosplay Summit
The World Cosplay Summit is arguably the most important cosplay convention in the world. In 2026, 259,000 people attended the event in Nagoya, Japan, with 41 national teams taking part in the prestigious competition. But it all started in 2003, when cosplayers from Germany, Italy and France were invited to join the Japanese competition. They were judged — and still are — on the quality of their costumes and their acting skills. Only cosplays based on Japanese source material are allowed to enter the contest.
2007–2019 – nerd culture goes mainstream: The Big Bang Theory
For a long time, the world of cosplay, fandom and nerd culture stayed relatively invisible to those not directly involved in it. That changed in 2007, thanks to the series The Big Bang Theory. The hugely popular show follows a group of men obsessed with science fiction who often dress up as their favourite characters. While the series has faced plenty of criticism, it undeniably helped bring cosplay to a much wider audience.
2008 – superheroes and the start of the MCU
Superheroes have been a major source of inspiration for cosplayers from the very start. In 2008, this got a huge boost from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The release of the film Iron Man kicked off a long run of hugely popular MCU superhero films. Characters that used to be known only to comic-book fans became mainstream. At conventions, superhero costumes are everywhere and hugely popular. For many cosplayers, they’ve also become an important point of connection with people outside the cosplay community: thanks to the MCU, superheroes are no longer a niche interest!
2010 – the importance of Instagram
Making and sharing photos and videos is a key activity for many cosplayers, and Instagram has been a prominent home for that since 2010. Cosplayers share their selfies here, but also team up regularly with photographers, videographers and make-up artists to capture their costumes as well as possible for Instagram. Social media gives some cosplayers the chance to turn cosplay into their job — becoming cosplay influencers. It also helps spread cosplay even further around the world.
2013 – cosplay is not consent
For many cosplayers, wearing a costume at a convention and interacting with fellow fans is one of the best parts of cosplay. But it isn’t always a positive experience. Cosplayers also get harassed, especially when wearing more revealing outfits. Unwanted touching, photography and insults are sadly common. Around 2013, Rochelle Keyhan, Erin Filson and Anna Kegler came up with the slogan Cosplay is not consent. Nowadays, almost every convention has house rules that include this slogan.
2014 – the legend of Dashcon
Like any community, the cosplay community has its own myths and legends. One of the most famous is Dashcon. This legendary cosplay convention took place in Illinois, USA, in 2014. The organisation, however, was far from professional, and almost everything went wrong from day one. Every mishap was shared live on the platform Tumblr as it happened. Photos of the vast, empty hall with its small, tragic ball pit still get shared today as a popular meme.
from 2015 – 3D printing becomes more accessible
Even an expiring patent can shape what’s creatively possible for cosplayers. When a patent on 3D printers expired around 2010, the machines gradually became more affordable for everyday cosplayers. The 3D printer opened the door to all sorts of new techniques: details that used to take hours of handiwork could suddenly be printed in one go. Of course, the prints still need sanding and painting, but the process has become faster and easier for many cosplayers — while also allowing for far more detailed costumes.
2015 – cosplay goes commercial: Heroes Dutch Comic Con
In 2015, cosplay had finally become widespread enough that the company Easyfairs saw a Dutch convention as a profitable opportunity. Easyfairs had previously organised events like the UitvaartExpo (the funeral trade fair) and the Familiedagen; now they’re also behind Heroes Dutch Comic Con and Heroes Made In Asia. Conventions like AnimeCon and Abunai! are traditionally run by volunteers, but Easyfairs’ events are commercial. This shows an important shift: cosplay is now so popular that businesses see money in it too. With around 60,000 visitors per edition, they’re clearly doing something right.
2020–2023 – the coronavirus pandemic: everyone becomes a cosplayer
From 2020, the world spends a couple of years lurching from one coronavirus lockdown to the next, and cosplay is hit hard by it too. Conventions grind to a halt and events get cancelled. Online, though, the culture blooms like never before, on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Discord. People who’d never tried cosplay suddenly have plenty of free time and come across it online. Many take up handicraft hobbies and start making costumes. Cosplay experiences unprecedented growth during this period.
2023 – fast fashion and sustainable cosplay
Just as in the fashion world, the trend cycle in cosplay is speeding up too, giving rise to fast fashion. Companies like DokiDoki Cosplay sell cheap costumes made in China. Production times are short: costumes are often available for purchase very soon after a new film, anime or game comes out. Some cosplayers feel the pressure to keep showing off the newest characters online and at conventions. But a counter-movement is emerging too: sustainable cosplay made from second-hand materials.
June 2026 – uproar over AI
In June 2026, a major online uproar breaks out within the cosplay community over the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) at conventions. Heroes Dutch Comic Con faces serious backlash after announcing that an AI company would be present at the convention. At many events, such as Abunai!, the use of AI is explicitly banned for both stallholders and competition entrants. Heroes Dutch Comic Con eventually issued an apology.
3 October 2026 – the first major exhibition about cosplay
The opening of this exhibition on 3 October 2026 marks an important milestone in the history of cosplay. Never before has a major museum exhibition been dedicated to this subculture.
