Weapon guidelines for hotel conventions like MagicCon

Are you planning to attend MagicCon in a cosplay that includes a weapon, or are you already in the middle of preparing it? Then you’ve come to the right place! On this page, you’ll find the rules regarding weapons.

If your question isn’t answered here, feel free to send an email to our administration team-we’ll definitely try to help you. But please keep in mind that we won’t be available starting about 14 days before the event begins, as we’ll need to focus entirely on on-site preparations at that time.

In addition, we reserve the right to make decisions on a case-by-case basis that deviate from the rules listed below. For example, if there is a particularly high volume of visitors, the rules may be interpreted more strictly.

The decision made on-site by the inspector always takes precedence. Rejected items cannot be stored on-site. Please take them to the hotel coat check, your room, or your vehicle.

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What might not be allowed, and what is strictly prohibited?

1Prohibited Weapons and Items
Under no circumstances may these weapons and items be brought onto the event grounds.

  • Functioning firearms and ammunition

  • Gas pistols, air guns, or similar devices

  • Explosive devices or pyrotechnics (fireworks, smoke, etc.)

  • Realistic replicas of hand grenades or similar explosive devices

  • Tasers

  • Pepper spray or animal repellent spray

  • Bows, crossbows, or slings with functional strings

  • Brass knuckles

  • Throwing weapons

  • Bludgeons or steel rods

  • Nunchucks

  • Wooden or metal baseball bats

  • Syringes, needles, or similar items without a medical purpose (especially those with a hard tip or piercing effect)

  • Imitation weapons such as replicas, etc., that resemble real weapons

  • Airsoft guns

  • Swords, knives, and daggers, if they are pointed (must be rounded like a thumb) and/or sharpened

  • All other items covered by the Weapons Act

2Weapons and Items to Be Assessed on a Case-by-Case Basis
These must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The person conducting the assessment decides at their own discretion whether to allow the visitor to enter the event with the item. The material itself is not the deciding factor, but rather

  • Stability

  • Impact force

  • Stabbing capability

  • Length

  • Tensile strength

  • risk of breakage or splintering

  • risk to other visitors

3Examples
Items that may be objected to include, among others

  • swords and sword-like props (e.g., katana, claymores, two-handed swords), especially if they are sturdily constructed or have increased stability (due to the risk of injury). In such cases, it is not only necessary to check whether the blade is as blunt as the tip of a thumb, but also to assess how easily it breaks and could splinter in the process

  • 3D-printed weapons with a hard surface (sharp, risk of injury if broken)

  • Rigid props with a metal or hard core (e.g., lightsabers with a metal rod as the blade)

  • Unpadded sticks or tubes

  • Arrows and bolts (unless firmly glued into the quiver, without tips)

  • Particularly heavy objects

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