There won't be a San Diego Comic-Con for the first time in 50 years
Just two weeks ago, AltPress reported that San Diego Comic-Con was planning to move forward with the July event. Unfortunately, as of today, April 17, SDCC is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
San Diego Comic-Con has never been canceled in its 50-year history.
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San Diego Comic-Con is the epicenter for all things pop culture. Full cast panels are one of the highlights. Cast members talk about all things from criticism to upcoming projects. In the past, Marvel, DC Comics, Game Of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Walking Dead, Stranger Things and so much more have all made headlines due to San Diego Comic-Con news.
Fans and organizers alike had hoped that the summer-based event would take place as usual. But it wasn’t in the cards.
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Coronavirus has rocked every industry to its core. The music industry has postponed festivals like Coachella, canceled festivals like Download UK and suspended or postponed every major upcoming tour.
The sports industry has canceled tournaments and postponed entire seasons. The film industry has pushed back theatrical and television releases and ceased the production of projects until the pandemic is under control. Now, we have to add San Diego Comic-Con to the list.
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In a lengthy statement, the organizers announced with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. They briefly touch on the refund policy for ticket holders. They also delayed the grand opening of the Comic-Con Museum. SDCC will return on July 22-25, 2021.
Read the full statement below.
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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.
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Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim, which was to have been held April 10-12, 2020 will return to the Anaheim Convention Center from March 26-28, 2021.
In addition to their conventions, Comic-Con has been planning a major renovation of Balboa Park’s Federal Building to be completed for the grand opening of the Comic-Con Museum in the summer of 2021. However, the COVID-19 situation has had an effect on those efforts as well.
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As such, they will be rephasing the Museum’s initially planned major renovations, but will not scale back the experience to be offered to visitors upon the Museum’s grand opening. They anticipate releasing building plans illustrating the Museum’s transformation and sharing more information about those efforts in the coming months.
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.
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In the next few days onPeak, Comic-Con’s official hotel affiliate, will be canceling all hotel reservations and refunding all deposits made through them. There is no need for anyone who booked through onPeak to take any action, including trying to cancel their reservations online or contacting the company via phone as the process will be handled automatically. Those who booked rooms through onPeak will be notified when refunds have been completed.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization said.
“We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.”
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As you could have guessed, fans are rather upset with the news. Check out some reactions below.
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 is off, officially. NYCC will almost certainly follow suit, either by their own choice or Cuomo simply won’t allow the event to happen. There’s just no way it can. #SDCC @NY_Comic_Con
— Pickle Vic (@JustSomeVic) April 17, 2020
Our first San Diego Comic Con was 15 years ago, which is coincidentally our 15th anniversary of being a couple. We’ve exhibited for over 10 years straight at this point. We knew the show wouldn’t happen this year and we’re honestly relieved, but it’s still sad.
— Frank & Becky (@beckyandfrank) April 17, 2020
Now San Diego Comic-Con is cancelled?! This past month of time has gone from bad to worse, and that was not even as bad as it was gonna be.
— Jack Drees (@JackDrees) April 17, 2020
We understand that health and safety is of the utmost importance. Comic-Con’s roughly 135,000 attendees, and even more employees would be at risk. Stay safe and maybe they’ll make some of the limited merchandise and Funko Pops! available online.
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