“Comic Con Baltics 2026 sponsored by Samsung” festival to welcome cosplay creators and K-pop dancers from across Europe

Taking place in Vilnius on 22–24 May, the “Comic Con Baltics 2026 sponsored by Samsung” festival invites visitors to some of the most colorful and creative popular culture competitions – the “Cosplay and K-Pop Dance Contest presented by McDonald’s”. This year, the contests will stand out not only for a record number of participants, but also for a strong international judging panel.

Last year, the “K-Pop Dance Contest presented by McDonald’s”, held at the festival for the first time, received an extremely positive response from both participants and spectators. This year’s K-pop contest has already registered 101 performances, with as many as 141 dancers set to take the stage. Most participants will come from Lithuania, while representatives from Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Finland and Ukraine will also take part in the contest.

The festival stage will feature 103 cosplay performances presented by 134 participants from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Ukraine. The judges will assess costume accuracy, the complexity of the construction, the techniques used and the stage portrayal of the character. In the original character category, the main focus will be on costume construction and creativity.

This year, the contests will also be judged by internationally recognized professionals. The “K-Pop Dance Contest presented by McDonald’s” judging panel will be joined by Ying, a K-pop dance content creator who rose to prominence in the Netherlands; Marina, a Finnish choreographer and founder of an online K-pop dance studio; and Ari, last year’s contest winner and a member of the groups “Black Coffee” and “Ur’soo”.

The cosplay judging panel will include MsSkunk from Germany, a creator with more than 20 years of experience; French costume designer Livanart; Irish creator Bambi Lashes, known for her costume-making skills; and Maike Huster from Germany, who uses advanced technologies in her work, from 3D printing to LED effects. The panel will also be joined by Eglucy, last year’s winner of the “Cosplay Cosband” category.

“Comic Con Baltics 2026 sponsored by Samsung” is a next-generation entertainment festival organized for the eighth year running, annually bringing creators and actors from cult films, series, comics and video games to Vilnius. On 22–24 May, visitors will have the opportunity to try out the latest video games, as well as titles that have already become cult favorites, and play them together with popular influencers in the “Baltics Gaming Expo” area. The “Meet Lithuanian Film Industry” program promises meetings with Lithuanian filmmakers and presentations of the latest films. A separate “Family Zone” will be set up for the youngest festival visitors.

The festival is partially funded by Vilnius City Municipality.