ARTICLE
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 is Cancelled
By Rachelle / 18 Apr 2020 (Saturday)
It's official, the Coronavirus has caused the cancellation of one of the biggest events of the year - the annual San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).
For the first time in 50 years, the organisers behind SDCC has announced that the annual pop culture celebration will not go on as planned this year. The 51st installment of the annual gathering, which typically attracts over 135,000 people, was set to take place in San Diego July 23 - 26. It will not be postponed or delayed so eager fans will have to wait until next year's event already scheduled for July 22 - 25, 2021 instead.
SDCC also announced that individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Exhibitors for Comic-Con 2020 will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to Comic-Con 2021 and will also receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to process their request.
A statement posted on San Diego Comic-Con’s official website read:
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. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 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, they 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.
San Diego Comic-Con has been the go-to event for creators and studios alike to engage with their most dedicated fanbase and serves as a platform to attract press coverage from the scores of journalists in attendance. A prime example would be last year's event that saw the reveal of Phase 4 of the MCU as shared by the Marvel team.
The industry would typically be deeply hurt by a canceled Comic-Con but many genre films and tv shows have already seen delays and postponements in their release and production. Marvel Studios' Black Widow is currently slated for release in cinemas Oct 29 while Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has been pushed back for a 2021 release on Apr 29 due to a production halt.
Here's hoping San Diego Comic-Con 2021 will make up for what we'll be missing out on this year!