Gatherings

Join together with fellow fans for photo ops and camaraderie.

Cosplay gatherings are a great chance to meet people from the same fandom and take some amazing photos together. All of the Cosplay Gatherings at AX are organized by attendees. For more information about when your favorite series' cosplay gathering will take place, please check the schedule when available

AX 2021 Cosplay Gathering Schedule Coming Soon

*Please note that the cosplay gathering schedule provided is not managed by Anime Expo and is subject to change.

There are nine approved cosplay gathering locations, which are all located outside of the convention center.
To help make it easier to locate these areas, please see below for a map and more information about all approved gathering sites:

Full-Size Map

Gathering Guidelines

For Participants

Pre-Con:

Say you’re going, respond to the event page: This helps for planning purposes!
If you have photo op ideas, send it to the host ahead of time. Remember, they may already have a schedule in place, so don’t be upset if they can’t squeeze it in.

At-Con:

Dress appropriately. Some gathering locations are out in the sun, so be sure to plan accordingly. Consider bringing a hat or umbrella!
Listen to and respect the hosts. They are dealing with a lot of people, so be nice.
Show up on time: gatherings typically have organized photo opportunities, so if you show up late, you might miss out on your favorite ship!
Do not go in the street. It’s dangerous, so please stick to the sidewalks.
Photo etiquette: Wait for the host to call people by character/group/series into organized photo ops. If you have a specific request or want to take photos of a specific cosplayer, wait until the end of the gathering to do so.
Cosplay is Not Consent: Always be sure to ask first before doing any pose that may involve contact with others.
Submit feedback about gatherings in mobile app. Please be aware that gatherings are all run by attendees. Submitting feedback in the app will help let the community know how they did!
Don’t forget to have fun!

For Hosts

Pre-Con:

Make an event page (Facebook, Meetup, etc…)
Communicate with those interested in attending your gathering. If you don’t say anything, people might not show up.
Plan a list of photo ops / groups ahead of time
- May not be as relevant for smaller gatherings, but for medium and large gatherings you’ll want to have cosplayers of a certain character, group, game, or series gather for a photo ops.
- Print it out and bring it with you, or put it on your phone. Better yet, tell people ahead of time on your event page.
- Organize accordingly – put the bigger groups first and have the full group picture at the end. For example, for a Naruto gathering, have all the Team 7 cosplayers (Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi) go first before Team 10 (Choji, Ino, Shikamaru) or have the main characters’ school team in Haikyuu or other sports anime gather before characters from a rival school team.)
Especially important for large gatherings: Determine a time limit for each group to make sure everyone will have a chance for a photo-op.
Get a megaphone (plastic ones work too!)

At-Con:

Show up early! Scope out the area and have a plan for where to position everyone: photographers, observers, and those getting their photo taken. Communicate with the gathering before you that your gathering is next.
Have a helper (or five!) You’ll need help wrangling the crowd and conveying instructions to everyone.
Be open to requests from people attending your gathering
Don’t forget the countdown for photographers: Cosplayers won’t be able hold those poses forever!
Remember that you can’t please everyone.
Have fun!

Cosplay Gathering Site Information

The gathering sites will be clearly marked with signs, and Cosplay volunteers will regularly visit each gathering site to make sure things are going smoothly, as well as answer any questions and concerns.

Site #1

Location: Small stair area in outdoor area of Concourse Hall
Guidelines: Suitable for small gatherings only. Only one gathering may be held at a time.
Directions: From West Hall, exit doors next to Galaxy Cafe.
Note: A valid AX badge is required to attend gatherings located at this site, as it is within the AX event area.

Site #2

Location: Stair area outside West Hall, on Chick Hearn Ct side, across from LA Live.
Guidelines: Outside stair area. Suitable for one large gathering or two medium-sized gatherings. Please stick to the stair area and do not block the walkway.
Directions: From West Hall, exit doors next to Petree Hall, then walk diagonally to the left.

Site #3

Location: Large stair area behind adjacent to Pico Blvd
Guidelines: Suitable for one large gathering or two medium-sized gatherings.
Directions: From West Hall, use doors near Hall B to exit and walk straight to the stair area.

Site #4

Location: Underneath overhang next to South Hall.
Guidelines: Suitable for small-to-medium gatherings. Can support 2-3 gatherings at one time.
Directions: Exit through South Hall Lobby front doors, turn left, go underneath Concourse walkway.

Site #5

Location: Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, in front of West Hall and on the corner of 12th and Figueroa (Staples Center side)
Guidelines: Suitable for one medium or large gathering at a time.
Directions: From West Hall lobby, exit the doors and go straight. Site #5 will be on the right side, before Figueroa St.

Site #6

Location: Gilbert Lindsay Plaza near corner of Pico Blvd and Figueroa St, between South Hall and West Hall.
Guidelines: Suitable for one medium or large gathering at a time. Please be mindful of lines and pedestrian traffic.

Site #7

Location: Outside West Hall Lobby.
Guidelines: Suitable for small-to-medium gatherings. Only one gathering may be held at a time. Please be mindful of the main walkway to the building.

Site #8

Location: Stone art sculpture display.
Guidelines: Suitable for small-to-medium gatherings. Only one gathering may be held at a time. Please do not climb on these sculptures.
Directions: Exit West Hall Lobby front doors, turn left toward Chick Hearn Ct.

Site #9

Location: Stairs under the awning on the corner of 15th Dr and Figueroa St.
Guidelines: Suitable for multiple medium-to-large gatherings at a time. The smaller set of stairs to the side can also be utilized for small-to-medium-sized gatherings. Please do not enter the loading dock area at the top of these stairs; this area is off-limits to general attendees.
Directions: From South Hall lobby, exit the doors and turn right.