According to organizers, the 2020 edition of the San Diego Comic-Con, the largest fan convention in North America and one of the biggest promotional events of the year, has been canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. The event, which pulls in 130,000 participants each year, was scheduled to be held from 23–26 of July. Now, it will take place on 22-25 of July 2021. Attendees who purchased tickets for the 2020 convention will receive instructions via email on how to either request a refund or use their badges for Comic-Con 2021. Exhibitors set for the 2020 event will receive similar instructions. “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,” Comic-Con International, the company that oversees San Diego Comic-Con, says in their statement. “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.”
It’s the first time in history that the event has been canceled. The decision followed a press conference held on 14 April by California Governor Gavin Newsom in which he stated that “large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers” are “not in the cards” for the near future. Newsom declined to provide a concrete timeline regarding when major events in the state will return. Plans for a Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, which was scheduled to open in time for Comic-Con 2021, were also modified. A new timeline will be announced, “in the coming months.” On 12 March, Comic-Con International announced that the organization was postponing its smaller fan convention WonderCon, which was due to take place in Anaheim, California from 10-12 April. No postponement date has been set, however, organizers predict that the event will return from March 26–28, 2021.
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. 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 International
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