SLAMDANCE: THE 1986 EDITION
TFNation 2026
Friday 31st July 2026
Over the years we’ve been mesmerised by the talents of TFN’s incredible cosplay community! We’re always keen to change – or dare we say, transform – with the times at TFNation, and with that in mind, we're today announcing an exciting new Friday evening segment... SLAMDANCE: TFN’s Epic Lip Sync Battle!
In this segment, cosplayers wearing human-inspired outfits will take to the TFN stage, not just to parade, but to battle their way through an exciting lip sync performance!
WILL I NEED TO PRE-REGISTER?
Yes – you MUST pre-register AND be accepted to appear in the Lip Sync Battle. Applications will open at 12pm (UK time) this Saturday, 4th July and will remain open for around 10-14 days (unless we hit capacity early, of course).
When it goes live, you'll find the application form here. You'll also be able to read the rules on this page before applying.
DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE LIP SYNC BATTLE AND THE COSPLAY PARADE?
No. You are very welcome to apply to enter either or both of these segments using the same, or different costumes.
Naturally, there will be an upper attendance cap on both segments, so there may be instances where we are able to offer you a place in the Lip Sync Battle, the Cosplay Parade, or both, depending on overall numbers.
We love seeing your costumes and we see this new segment as a way to welcome more of you than ever before!
HOW MUCH TIME WILL I HAVE ON STAGE?
As this is a performance, rather than a parade, we are planning to provide Lip Sync entrants with up to 60 seconds each on stage, pending final numbers.
HOW DOES THE SONG CHOICE WORK?
This is very much our trial year for this new segment, so we’re going to keep it simple whilst we work on our systems. (Because you’ll get to rehearse… but we won’t!)
This year we’ll be celebrating all things 1986! On the application form, you’ll be able to choose a song from the iconic The Transformers The Movie soundtrack.
Don’t worry, there’s no mad rush to grab your favourite track – we’re happy if multiple entrants choose the same one – though, variety is the spice of Cybertron… or, something like that, so we'll also ask you to name a backup just in case everybody chooses the same track!
WAIT… I WASN’T PLANNING A 1986-THEMED COSTUME
Not to worry! As we say this is our first year – and the 1986 movie is very much something which has transcended the generations. So, all characters are welcome! It’ll be like paying homage to the Cybertronian greats!
That said, you will need to be in human cosplay for this segment (not mech) just to help us to avoid any mishaps.
HOW WILL REHEARSALS WORK?
Rehearsing at home is important! But nothing beats testing your timings on the TFN stage!
Once your application has been accepted, you’ll qualify for rehearsals – we’ll send you the full details, but in short, you’ll need be to be available at 17:00 (UK Time) on the Friday of TFNation.
We don’t expect you to be in costume all day, but equally, we’re happy for you to make that decision. If you are confident in your costume choice and decide to attend rehearsals in regular clothes, that’s fine with us. Likewise, if wearing your costume will be important, please feel free to wear it. (Just note, we are unable to provide changing facilities or bag drops).
Rehearsals will last for about 45 minutes, shared between all entrants. You’ll already know your routines from home, so this is really just a chance for us to take a quick look, show you around the stage area, and let you know how timings will work.
WHAT ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF?
The performance will take place a few hours later, at 19:30 (UK Time) on the Friday of TFNation.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update! We know battle is a high-intensity sort of word, but we expect this segment to be lots of fun, and we're sure your fellow TFNationals will be cheering you on!
We can't wait to see your performances at SLAMDANCE: THE 1986 EDITION
(Please note: TFNation 2026 is a limited capacity event, which we expect to be busy; all convention areas are subject to capacity limits and all advertised guests, traders, forge artists, exhibitors, panels and activities are subject to change without notice. Terms and Conditions of sale apply on this small world and all others, even those missing a moonbase or two!)