For the first time in its 50 year history, the San Diego Comic-Con will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers behind the world’s largest comic book convention and annual pop culture celebration, announced today that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020.
The SDCC announced the cancellation via their website this afternoon, explaining their decision to forgo the event: “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.”
The convention, which annually draws an attendance of over 100,000 attendees, will return to the San Diego Convention Center in 2021 from July 22nd to 25th.
In the announcement, the SDCC stated that individuals and exhibitors 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.
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.
The San Diego Comic Con is only the latest in a long line of industry events canceled due to COVID-19, with E3, WonderCon Anaheim and Gamescom being among the notable gaming events that have been scrapped due to the world wide pandemic.
