San Diego Comic-Con 2020 has officially been canceled.
The largest fan convention in North America has been canceled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced on Friday. The annual comic book convention was originally scheduled to be held from July 23–26 in San Diego, California. Now, fans must instead look forward to event happening July 22-25, 2021.
“For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020,” Comic-Con International, the company that oversees San Diego Comic-Con, said in a statement.
People who have purchased badges for the 2020 entertainment event, which pulls upwards of 130,000 participants each year, will be able to transfer their badges to 2021 or request a refund. Organizers said an email will be sent to badge holders in the coming weeks to explain the process.
The decision follows California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent press conference, in which he said that “large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers” should not be happening for the foreseeable future.
In the event’s announcement, organizers noted that Newsom’s remarks became one of the main reasons to cancel Comic-Con for 2020.
“Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, [organizers] had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer,” the statement read. “Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.”
Comic-Con’s cancellation comes after the pandemic caused other major festivals such as Coachella and South by Southwest to change their original plans.
We will just have to keep those capes and wizard costumes hanging up for one more year!
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