The ChiavarInCosplay festival, which took place from 27 to 29 September, ended with great success. organized by the Culture Department of the Municipality of Chiavari in collaboration with STEP of the LEG Group. The event, characterized by the claim “Lightness – Leggerezza”, created an engaging atmosphere capable of fascinating the over 42,000 attendances recorded over the three days. This number marks an increase of approximately 40% compared to the previous year.
The city’s main squares—Piazza Mazzini, Piazza Matteotti and Piazza Roma—as well as Palazzo Rocca, hosted numerous attractions and cultural initiatives, offering a varied spectacle for a multigenerational audience. Among the most beloved symbols of the festival, the “Red Carpet” has captured the attention of many, allowing visitors to capture special moments in a red carpet atmosphere.
Palazzo Rocca hosted two very popular exhibitions. The first, “Sbagli a fin bene”, presented the work of the cartoonist Enrico Macchiavello, who expressed his enthusiasm for the exhibition in such a prestigious context. The second exhibition, curated by the Liguria Bricks Association, fascinated adults and children with works made entirely with LEGO bricks.
Numerous musical events enlivened the festival. The Banana Split concerts, the enchantment of Disney melodies with ANIMEniacs, and the performance of the famous Cristina D’Avena in a packed Piazza Mazzini were some of the most awaited moments. The talks with famous guests, including the singer-songwriter Guido De Angelis and the well-known Japanese influencer Kenta Suzuki, further enriched the program, offering food for thought and entertainment.
Particular attention was paid to the 50th anniversary of the film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, discussed by experts in the sector. The presence of well-known voice actors, such as Natale Ciravolo and Rossa Caputo, further raised the profile of the event. There will also be space for young talents, such as Potara, much appreciated by the young public.
The Artist Alley allowed visitors to meet designers and illustrators, while the exhibition “A story of 100 million years” transformed Piazza Matteotti into the “Dinosaur Square” with impressive reproductions of prehistoric creatures. The participation of the Chiavari schools, with over 150 children involved in “Scuoleincosplay”, demonstrated the positive impact of the festival on the new generations. Satisfaction in the words of Silvia Stanig, Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Chiavarifor the excellent success of the festival: “We greet ChiavarInCosplay 2024 with great satisfaction. We beat last year’s attendance record and being part of the large circuit of events in this category allows us to go beyond regional borders and make ourselves known on a national level. For three days our city gets dressed up in Cosplay, changes its face and is filled with people, colors and cosplayers of all ages from all over Italy. A concentration of emotions, magic, fun and very important guests. The grand finale with guest star Cristina D’Avena was exceptional. We can’t wait to get back to work to continue the project and hopefully achieve this great success again next year”.
Also the artistic directors Alberto Grezzani and Andrea Lucchi they declare themselves enthusiastic: “This year ChiavarInCosplay has definitively consolidated itself as a national level event. For three days the city returned to being there “Cosplay Hollywood” and it was wonderful to see the river of people who crossed the main streets and squares with curiosity and participation. In particular, the creative strategies that we studied together with STEP of the LEG Group for this edition were successful. We thank the municipal administration and the city of Chiavari for the warmth with which they welcomed and supported us”.
“The secret to flying is to take it easy! Let’s start from here, returning to underline a phrase from our Gianluca Del Carloto reiterate an important concept and a fundamental ingredient for the success of this edition of ChiavarInCosplay” – he states Sandro Giacomelli, owner of STEP together with Tania Ferri and Elisabetta De Luca – “They were three magical days between everyone’s smiles and the power of good energy. We are thrilled with the result obtained, even greater than expectations and for this we thank the city, the associations, the Municipality of Chiavari, the artistic directors, our staff, the CFC team, all the guests and above all the public. The passion that united us and the lightness we aspired to led us to fly”.
