It really seemed like it was only a matter of time. The announcement came today from the official page for Comic-Con International that this year’s event would be cancelled. The organizers also put on WonderCon, which has been cancelled as well. Neither event will be rescheduled.
So let’s not bury the lead. What are the new dates? WonderCon 2021 will take place on March 26-28, 2021 in Anaheim. SDCC 2021 returns to San Diego July 22-25, 2021. Want even more good news? Anyone who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. The same rules apply to exhibitors. Both should receive an email with instructions next week. Anyone who booked early bird hotels through OnPeak will be receiving refunds.
There is no doubt that this will be a major blow for the economy of San Diego, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. At the same time, this truly is the right decision. Based on what has been said by federal and California officials, it also might have been the only decision. The coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented cancellations across the globe and across the board. At this point, 2020 is looking like a hard reboot.
July will certainly feel weird for me, even the weeks leading up to what would have been the con. I applaud Comic-Con organizers for doing this now, rather than waiting until late May or even June. I also think that the badge transfer option was the right decision. Here’s hoping we are more healthy, happy and starved for an even bigger SDCC in 2021.