San Diego Comic-Con has become the latest casualty to be canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The cancelation is the first time in the event’s 50-year history, but organizers say the event will return from July 22-25, 2021. The very famous comic book convention was scheduled to run from July 23-26th.
The decision follows the April 14 press conference by California Government. Gavin Newsom in which Newsom said that “large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers” are “not in the cards” for the foreseeable future. While Newsom didn’t give a straight timeline, he said, “When you suggest June, July, August, it is unlikely” that major events in the state would return.
It’s not clear if San Diego Comic-Con will hold any type of virtual events like what Gamescom is doing in August, or if New York Comic-Con will follow the same faith in October. Either way, tons of fans that love to dress up and crossplay will have to wait a while before large social gathering returns. Although not the largest comic convention in the U.S., San Deigo Comic-Con, often called SDCC, is one of the most prestigious in the entertainment world. Here Hollywood unveils new projects, teases upcoming films and announces new cast members to hit shows and movie franchises.
Each year around 135,000 attendees pass through the San Diego convention center over the course of the four-day convention. San Diego’s tourism group estimates that $88 million directly spent by attendees during the convention and $149 million trickles into the region’s economy. WonderCon Anaheim, another convention hosted by the organization behind San Diego Comic-Con, has also been canceled from Its April 2020 date and will return in March 2021.
