COVID-19: There will be no San Diego Comic-Con International this year

CALIFORNIA: Coronavirus has succeeded in cancelling many mega events worldwide. Due to pandemic, Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. US Open, French Open, Tour De France, Cannes, and many others were also affected by this deadly disease. And now COVID-19 has attacked one of the world’s largest pop culture gatherings, Comic-Con San Diego International.

For the first time since the convention started, the organizers were forced to call off the San Diego-based due to the ongoing situation in the world.

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,” organizers said in a statement on event’s website.

Organizers further stated that the health advisories and statements by California Governor regarding COVID-19 have made it clear that it won’t be safe to hold the convention this year.

“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 statement read.

The non-profit multi-genre entertainment and comic book convention, which witnesses around 167,000 attendees every year, was scheduled to take place in July 2020.

Spokesperson for the organization, David Glanzer said that those who booked hotel reservations for the four-day extravaganza would get complete refunds.

“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,” Glanzer said.

“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision. We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy,” he added.