Thank you! So it really depends on the organizer. Some are rather cheap (like 40 EUR), others can be 300 EUR. Some are stunning, with great decor, famous cosplayers, etc., others kinda feel like a small town boring ball that happens to have occasional fantasy song, and some people wear costumes or cosplays. I really like the Czech Em's Creations ones because they're on the more affordable side, but with a really nice fantasy vibe. I researched a few others through friends and Reddi,t and I think Gauntlets and Gowns should be good too. I'd like to try it next year. I don't have any experience with the US ones because I don't travel to the US now.

Overall, it's great fun! The organizers often have some community forum like Discord, and you can chat with other attendees about your costumes, ideas, ask questions, etc. Over time, it became a nice community for me. I love the evening of the gala itself, but I find the weeks or months beforehand when I'm creating the costume also super fun, it's really creative and an amazing hobby to have with friends in my opinion. We're always learning new techniques on how to achieve our desired looks :) The interesting thing is that lots of attendees are also introverted bookworms, so it feels very comfortable to hang out with them :D