Horror Folklore Fest Dhaka 2025 struggles with theme but delivers heart

Dhaka's crowd is no stranger to pop culture conventions. Back in 2012, since Dhaka Comicon kickstarted the trend, we witnessed a string of fests, conventions, expos and fandom gatherings, each with its own theme, attracting the capital's geeks and enthusiasts, who flow in scores, as the leisure options available are scarce in the city.

We witnessed yet another convention - Horror Folklore Fest Dhaka 2025, organised by Eventors, and I decided to brave the Friday evening traffic and dive into the world of Bengali urban legends. 

Tokyo Square Convention Center, the venue of the convention, was wrapped with props and ambient lighting. The Fest tried to be unique with its Bangla urban horror theme. However, as I walked into the center, I was not sure if the memo reached out to the cosplayers properly.

Ghostface from the Scream franchise, Soichi from Junji Ito's universe, and a handful of anime horror – the handful cosplayers tried their best to do justice to the theme. However, for an event themed around Bangla horror, I found myself looking for more Bangali horrorlore inspired cosplay. 

Photo: Courtesy

I was expecting Shakchunni with her sharp fangs and claws, a Mecho Bhoot asking around for a piece of fish or even Nishi, whispering my name and luring me into inevitable doom – instead I was welcomed by Ghost from Call of Duty, which was an odd character in a themed convention.

This identity crisis of the theme showed up in the vendor stalls too. With eerie lighting, danglers swaying in the aircon's blast, red shadows and ambient music, the fest deserved better merchandise. Sanrio stickers, block toys and generic merchandise you usually find in most anime conventions were stocked in the handful of stalls strewn across the venue. 

Even the mini games, which did a great job of engaging the guests, were Harry Potter-themed. One of the members of the organising team stated, "We did not want this to be Halloween themed, rather specifically horror-theme." However, it seemed the stall owners and few cosplayers were not aware of the set theme.

Despite the mismatch, the organizers tried their best to stick to the theme of Bangali urban horror. A live horror experience session was conducted by Farzad Alam and RJ Elvis, a Shakchunni drama performance graced the stage and entertained the crowd, cosplay parade and an experience sharing session by Afnan The Horror World Official. 

Another thing I absolutely loved and appreciated was the participants. Dhaka's fandom community always proudly shows up with their best performance. They wore their fandoms like badges of honor—costumes, the makeup and props were spot on. 

It's very wholesome to see a room full of people mingling with likeminded ones, a weird yet heartwarming crossover between Soichi and Count Dracula, next to a Shakchunni making a reel.

The cosplayer's performance was one of the highlights of the festival, followed by "Monjulika Dance Competition," which stole the show for sheer entertainment value. However, the horror tunnel stole the show. It transported visitors into a passage that oddly reminded them of Shishu Mela's train tunnel full of monsters. 

Photo: Courtesy

The horror tunnel was lit with red ambient light, smoke for theatricality and the screeches and giggles of a Shakchunni lurking in the shadows. It was simple, yet effective. The tunnel proved that sometimes all you need is a good jump scare to get in the mood. Full marks to the organisers for this. 

This fest was a passion project, and it was evident from the effort put by the entire organizing committee. The décor, the eagerness of the volunteers to help the participants and the guests – this is what makes an ordinary event extraordinary. 

Yes, it had inconsistencies, the theme was diluted and misinterpreted by the participants, but the effort was there and has the potential to become an annual event.

Dhaka pop culture communities deserve more events like this—places where fans can escape, express, and just spend a weekend with people of shared interests. With a bit more polish and ensuring proper thematic guidelines, Horror Folklore Fest can easily grow into something truly memorable.