San Diego’s Comic-Con has been canceled, the latest major cultural event to fall victim to concerns raised by Covid-19.
The convention – which regularly draws more than 125,000 attendees, turning San Diego into the center of the pop-culture universe for four days each July – posted the announcement on its website.
“For the first time in its 50-year history,” the organization behind the event said, they were announcing “with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020.”
The convention stated its plans to continue at the scheduled date in July 2021. Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim – another gathering presented by the same group – said its April convention would seek to resume in March of next year.
Although the event originated as a celebration of comic books, it has mushroomed into a showcase for all forms of popular culture, including movies and TV shows. Movie studios, in particular, have turned the event into a platform to promote upcoming films, which have also been postponed because of the public-health crisis.
Attendees regularly dress up in costumes, parading the convention floor in colorful outfits, providing what amounted to a four-day escape from reality.
Comic-Con International said that all hotel deposits would be refunded. Those who registered for badges can either seek refunds or have the balance applied to next year’s convention.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” David Glanzer, the spokesman for the organization, said in a statement. “We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.”