Terms and Conditions of Entry
These terms and conditions of entry apply to all who attend Overload, including exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers and visitors/members of the public. Please keep these rules in mind and help make Overload a pleasant and special experience for all.
All attendees to the event must adhere to the following rules:
- Do not engage in activities that interfere with other attendees.
- Weapons, dangerous goods, alcohol, drugs and animals are prohibited at the event.
- Do not block or place items in front of fire exits.
- Follow the directions of Overload Staff or designated volunteers.
- The Overload committee reserves the right to deny entry to the event or remove any persons considered a nuisance. If anyone acts in a manner which other Overload attendees find unpleasant, upsetting, offensive, dangerous, intimidating or frightening, they will be immediately required to cease, and if the behaviour is repeated they will be removed from the Venue by Overload Staff and entry fee will not be refunded.
- Any apparel or costume featuring offensive or rude images are prohibited (i.e. Ahegao, Hentai apparel)
- Children, the age of 13 or under, must be accompanied by an adult or guardian at all times.
- Any and all transactions between an artist / vendor and customer are the responsibility of said parties.
- For filming or taking photos at Overload, media, production companies, and social media influencers must obtain permission* from the Overload committee before filming at the event. For personal use, individuals must get permission from the subject before filming them.
- Please note filming by the Overload committee or permitted persons will be taking place at the event.
*Please email Julia for the Press application form.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are always looking for more sponsors to help expand the event. Please contact us at [email protected] for possible inclusion in Overload.
Yes, we are always looking for people to volunteer to help with the event, any help you may offer would be most appreciated. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
The Cloud Convention Center has no public car parks at the venue. If you are driving to the venue you will need to find public parking nearby. There are parking lots throughout the city, such as the AT Downtown car park or Wilson REO Car Park.
Some sponsors or retailers may have Eftpos, but there are no ATM machines inside the venue. We recommend you bring enough cash for the day. Cash withdrawals are available up to $50 at the ticketing office (subject to fund availability).
Note: Entry to Overload can be paid with Eftpos or cash upon entry.
Yes, we offer a variety of food options with various vendors, as well as at the Cosplay Cafe within the venue.
Generally speaking, No. Photography is not allowed unless you have permission from the subject/person. Please ask the artists, cosplayers or organisers before you take any photos.
There are no age restrictions, but children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or care giver.
Overload primarily focuses on anime and manga styled art, but there is a wide range of NZ talent on display. Given this wide talent base, and the differing material produced each year, it can be honestly said that most people will find something that they like.
Overload is run by a volunteer committee of individuals that are selected by Anime NZ Ltd. Each year a new committee is assembled, and the process of preparing for that years Overload event is begun afresh.
This committee is led by Graphic Novel Cafe owner and Anime NZ Ltd representative, Seong Oh.
For Overload 2025, pre-sale tickets will be available exclusively through Eventzilla. The links to Eventzilla provided by Overload are the ONLY official way to purchase pre-sale tickets. Please be cautious of unauthorised resale platforms that may charge inflated prices. Tickets purchased through unauthorised sources may be considered invalid and could be denied entry to Overload.
Yes, door sales will be available at the ticketing office at the entrance area.
You do not need to print your ticket. Electronic tickets can be scanned directly from your smartphone on the day of the event. Please ensure your phone is charged and that you have your ticket readily accessible to facilitate a smooth entry process.
Tickets (Pre-sale & door sale) are non-refundable and non-exchangeable once the transaction is complete. We kindly ask that you carefully review your ticket selection before finalising your purchase.
In the event of a cancellation or indefinite postponement of Overload, or if a refund is mandated by law, our liability is limited to refunding the face value of the ticket only. All additional fees and charges associated with the ticket purchase are non-refundable.
Please note that this policy ensures the financial viability of the event and allows us to provide the best possible experience for all attendees. We appreciate your understanding and support of Overload.
Anyone is able to register as an Artist at Overload, including overseas visitors, provided they bring only their own work.
Absolutely. Please visit and fill out the Online Registration form. Alternatively, please contact the committee by contacting us at [email protected].
Overload Committee has an ongoing assessment of our position regarding AI art policy. Our current consensus is that we do not accept AI generated art due to its unethical and uncredited data mining of artists’ work globally.
Yes you can, so long as all items have been created / designed by you and are not commercially available.
No, commercial goods are not allowed to be traded at Overload Artist Tables (Standard/Special Table).
Yes, we welcome Portrait Artists at Overload but you must provide clear access to your neighbour artists’ tables. If you are a table at the end of a row, you will be allowed a queue of up to 5 people. If you are in the middle of a row (and surrounded by other artists) you can only have two people in your queue. Failing this will mean that your service may have to be suspended. A ticket/number system is the preferred method of queue control.
Generally the playing of music at your table is prohibited due to the number of Artists in close proximity. The only exception to this is if you are using music to showcase an animation or game. We ask that you notify your adjacent Artists beforehand. You may be asked to turn the volume down if it is deemed too loud.
Yes, with the requirement that explicit content is hidden or covered. Please keep visible content all-ages friendly.
To meet the electricity access requests from artists, we’ve created an area where this is possible. Simply book an Overload Special Table ($200) when purchasing your artist table. Being at the side of the venue, these tables have access to electrical supply as well as more space behind your table.
Friday 19th April (recommended)
From 10am-5pm. Please go to the Registration Desk at The Cloud and present your Eventfinda QR code or Eventfinda Order ID to enter venue setup to collect your entry pass/enter venue. Only 2 people per table may enter each day – either you and your helper, or you and the artist you’re sharing a table with, unless otherwise organised.
Saturday 20th April
From 8am-10am. Last minute set-up is allowed, however, all artists must check-in at the Registration Desk at Shed 10 to gain venue access. No wristbands = No entry. No exception. This applies to your helper as well.
Sunday 21st April
You can enter the venue from 9am. No set-up or pack-out is allowed on Sunday morning. Again, no wristbands = no entry. No exception.
You must bring and wear your own high-visibility vest, and closed-toe shoes at all times during set-up. This applies to helpers. Please keep fire exits clear and do not block them with your vehicle, goods or furniture.
Visit the Artist Setup Guidelines and Healthy & Safety form for more details.
Yes, you will need to bring your own hi-vis vest.
As specified in our terms and conditions, the original creator of any art exhibited at Overload must be present at their table. However, if due to unforeseen circumstances, you cannot make it to the event and need an assistant to manage your table on your behalf, please contact the committee. We may be able to process the late application for an assistant on your Artist’s registration. Please be aware that this is at the committee’s discretion and available only in exigent situations.
As the principle registered Artist you remain responsible and liable for any infringement of terms and conditions within the vicinity of your table space. If you cancel your registration, there is no refund.
Artist Registration is a contract. As long as you are the registered artist, you are deemed legally responsible and liable for any infringement of terms and conditions within the vicinity of your table space. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, a registered artist cannot attend it may be possible to transfer your table to another artist you nominated, however this may only be done under Overload Committee’s approved procedure (contact [email protected]). Otherwise, you can be held responsible for any infringements by the artist who takes over your table.
Your registration is a legal agreement between you and the Overload Committee which can not easily be transferred to others. Due to the administration costs, we can cancel your registration but will not refund your registration fee, as per our Terms and Conditions.
No. There are no locker rooms or storage spaces available, other than the area under your table. You are responsible for all your own belongings.
Do not store your belongings between the two rows of tables as this is a Health and Safety concern, and a risk to your fellow artists. Please keep fire exits clear and do not block them with your goods or furniture.
There are no age restrictions, but the person registering must be at least 16 years or older unless consent is provided by a parent or guardian. Anyone who is younger than 13 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Cosplay, a portmanteau of “costume play” – dressing up to portray your favourite character, showing your passion for a fictional work. Although Overload is an Anime-focused event we welcome all cosplayers whatever your costumes may be.
Overload is a family-friendly event so any costumes with excessive exposure or indecency are not permitted. Overload staff reserve the right to deem a costume you are wearing as unacceptable and request that you immediately make required modification as necessary. Failure to comply may result in your removal from the venue. Please also check the FAQ regarding military style costumes.
Cosplayers must ensure that their activities do not harm or inconvenience anyone, or be unreasonably frightening or intimidating. Be aware of your surroundings, for instance it must be clear to any onlookers and bystanders that a weapon prop is being held as posing for photography.
Please check below FAQ for specific requirements.
Family friendly cons and what that means for cosplayers:
- Booties are covered
- Side-boob and under-boob is covered, and all cleavage is safe and secure from potential nip-slips.
- If legs are out, they are covered by skin-toned tights.
- Costumes that look like underwear need to be altered in such a way that is more modest. Think “togs togs UNDIES” – what might look like togs at a beach to you, looks like undies to event goers.
- Please keep in mind it can get windy near the wharf! If your costume is at risk of exposure from the wind, please wear something covering underneath.
We don’t want to heavily restrict what costumes you wear nor your creativity, we just want everybody to feel included in a family friendly event. This means minor alterations need to be made on some costumes for modesty reasons.
Overload defines a weapon prop as any item which looks like a weapon or a commonplace item which could be used as a weapon, for instance, like a baseball bat.
No authentic real-world weapons of any sort will be allowed.
No item which significantly resembles a real-world weapon will be allowed. (Common sense rule of thumb for this criteria is that any member of the public should recognise a weapon prop as not being a real-world weapon, if it is not immediately obvious to anyone that it is not a real world weapon, it will probably not be acceptable.)
All props, armour, and accessories should have blunt edges and should not be able to cause piercing damage. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times and be respectful to those around you.
You must attach a bright orange tag/tape or stopper to the barrel or point of your weapon props to ensure they are publicly identifiable as props. Staff in the ticketing booth will examine your weapon props. They have sole discretion to approve weapon props and may revoke that approval at any time if any weapon prop is altered or used inappropriately.
In general, props should not be more than 1.8m in height and 1.2m in width and not weigh more than 3kg.
Props created exclusively for use in the Cosplay Competition and only for use on stage must remain in the competition-allocated room when not in prejudging or during the competition if they do not abide by the above cosplay prop rules.
Yes, you can cosplay genuine fictional military characters, however costumes which could cause distress to attendees by significantly resembling any present-day real-world militia will not be allowed. Your uniform should be immediately recognizable for the character it represents.
Assessment of this will be entirely at the discretion of Overload staff. You may remove, or reconfigure/alter, your costume to comply in order to attend Overload, however you will not be allowed to bring any prohibited items into the Venue with you.
Please also check our weapons props FAQ above.
No, there is no cloakroom. If you bring a prop, you will need to carry it while at the event. We advise you to consider practicality and comfort even within the limits of what is allowed.
If you are entering the Overload Cosplay Competition and have props/sets, please refer to the Cosplay Competition FAQ for storage options.
As a cosplayer, you will often be asked for photographs, as people are just as enthusiastic about your series as you might be! You are under no obligation to agree – if you are busy politely decline and say “not now”.
If someone continues to harass you for photos, attempts to take them without your permission or make you uncomfortable please seek an Overload staff member for assistance, as such behaviour will not be tolerated.
When having your photos taken, please kindly refrain from using spaces that will hinder or obstruct others.
Please contact Overload staff or security guards immediately. We will help you and respond to all serious matters promptly. All Overload staff wear hi-vis jackets and security guards wear uniforms. You will be able to identify them easily.
Special Guests
All listed guests are confirmed to attend Overload when announced; however, due to unexpected circumstances, they may regrettably have to cancel their attendance. In such cases, we will announce changes as soon as possible. Individual guests have specific autograph policies. Please check individual guest pages for detailed information. Note that guests will typically personalize autographs by writing your name.
No, Q&A sessions are free for all Overload event attendees.
Photography and filming policies vary across different sessions. Generally, photography and filming are prohibited to protect guests’ privacy and maintain the event’s professional atmosphere. Some guest sessions may allow limited photography, but this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Attendees must always follow stage staff instructions carefully, as unauthorised recording can result in immediate event removal.
Yes, small gifts and note(letter) are allowed, however, you must follow our ‘Guidelines for Guest Gift-Giving’ that you will find on display near the Guests’ autograph booth.
You need to acquire autograph token(s) specific to the guest you want to meet. The process varies from guest to guest. For specific information, please check guest information webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date details on autograph procedures pertaining to each guest.
The process varies from guest to guest:
- Artist Guests: Autograph tokens are typically available ONLY with books purchased from the designated location on the event day, unless otherwise specified.
- Voice Actor Guests: Purchase tokens from the designated location on the event day. Each token includes an Overload official shikishi (signboard).
- Cosplay Guests: Autographs are usually arranged at their booth, often in conjunction with merchandise purchases.
Pro Tip: Always check the Guest webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date details on autograph procedures.
Generally, you can obtain up to two autograph tokens per guest. However, some guests might limit autographs to one per person.
While many guests are kind and accommodating, always:
- Check the specific guest’s autograph policy
- Understand that not all guests will sign personal items
Note that guests will NOT sign: Unofficial merchandise, fan art, blank paper and Funko Pop figures (or their box).