San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled over coronavirus lockdown, first time in convention’s 50-year history
The latest in the string of events getting canceled in the midst of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic is the San Diego Comic-Con. The event’s organizers announced on April 17 that the 51st installment of the annual convention, which was set to take place in San Diego July 23-26 has been rescheduled for next year and will now take place from July 22-25 in 2021.
A statement posted on San Diego Comic-Con’s official website read: “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.”
It further said, “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 San Diego Comic-Con attracts more than a hundred thousand people every year. Even as recently as April 1, organizers tweeted that they were hopeful SDCC would still happen in July.
According to the organizers, “Individuals 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 reportedly holds true for exhibitors who bought space on the convention’s expo floor. Per reports, the exhibitors will receive an email with instructions by next week.
The organizers further said, “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.”
Amid the panic over the coronavirus pandemic, the Cannes Film Festival announced on March 19 that it is postponing its 2020 edition.
The festival’s official statement read: “At this time of global health crisis, our thoughts go to the victims of the COVID-19 and we express our solidarity with all of those who are fighting the disease.” “Today, we have made the following decision : The Festival de Cannes cannot be held on the scheduled dates, from May 12 to 23. Several options are considered in order to preserve its running, the main one being a simple postponement, in Cannes, until the end of June-beginning of July, 2020,” the statement added.
“As soon as the development of the French and international health situation will allow us to assess the real possibility, we will make our decision known, in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes’ City Hall as well as with the Festival’s Board Members, Film industry professionals and all the partners of the event.”
The Cannes Marché told Deadline that it will only run alongside the festival and won’t take place as a separate virtual market in May, as was suggested as a possibility earlier this week. The virtual element will run alongside the festival in June/July for those who are unable to attend.The festival reportedly hasn’t had to cancel an edition since 1968. Even in 2003, during the SARS epidemic, the film festival only registered a lighter attendance from Asia.
Meanwhile, amid the fear of contracting what the World Health Organization dubbed as a pandemic, a flurry of event cancellations and postponements have taken place.
BAFTA has announced that its Television Craft Awards and Television Awards will be postponed until later this year.
According to a report in Deadline, the official statement from BAFTA said, "Following the latest government advice on coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to announce that the British Academy Television Craft Awards and Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards, originally scheduled for 26 April and 17 May respectively, will be postponed until later in the year.”
The statement further explained, "The announcement of the nominations, scheduled for next Thursday 26 March, will also be postponed until closer to the ceremony. We’re working with all our partners to explore options for new dates and we hope to be in a position to confirm them in the coming weeks."
Similarly, one of the biggest nights on the fashion calendar, the Costume Institute Gala, more commonly known as the Met Gala, which was scheduled to take place on May 4, 2020, will not go ahead. “Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, ‘About Time’, and the opening night gala, will be postponed to a later date,” Condé Nast's art director Anna Wintour, who hosts the celebrity fashion event, wrote in Vogue, where she is the Editor-in-Chief.
This comes at a time when US move theatres have closed nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, turning dark nearly all of the country's 40,000-plus screens in an unprecedented shutdown.
The largest chains had tried to remain open even as Hollywood postponed its upcoming release plans and guidelines for social distancing steadily diminished the recommended size of crowds. But after President Donald Trump on Monday urged against gatherings of more than 10 people, AMC Theaters, the nation's largest chain, said Tuesday its theaters would close altogether.
AMC said the latest guidelines made movie theater operations “essentially impossible.” It said it would close all locations in the U.S. for at least six to 12 weeks. Regal, the second largest chain, said on Monday that its theaters would close until further notice.
Most of Europe's cinemas have already shut down, as have those in China, India and elsewhere. North America's shutdown came gradually. On Sunday, the mayors of New York and Los Angeles ordered their cities' theaters closed. Governments in Massachusetts and Quebec also closed theaters.
Cinemark, the nation's third-largest chain, hasn't yet announced closures. But chains like the Alamo Drafthouse, Landmark Theatres, Showcase Cinemas and Bow Tie Cinemas have closed. Most of those that haven't yet declared themselves closed are expected to do so this week. The Alamo Drafthouse put an “Intermission” card up on its website.
Meanwhile, the 31st GLAAD Media Awards, which recognizes and honors various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, set for April 16 in Los Angles, has also postponed, joining the New York edition March 19 that had already been canceled, stated a report in Deadline.
Further, the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that was set for May 2 in Cleveland has been postponed.
Sporting events, too, have borne the brunt of the pandemic. The NBA suspended the regular season indefinitely on March 11. The NHL announced on March 12 that it is pausing the 2019-20 season.
CBS Sports also reported that Major League Baseball has canceled the remainder of spring training and is pushing back the start of the regular season, which was originally scheduled to start March 26, at least two weeks.
According to an NPR report, Ohio, which was slated to vote on March 17, has announced the intention to delay the presidential primaries. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose said they are trying to postpone in-person voting until June 2. Kentucky, which was supposed to vote May 19, will now vote on June 23, according to Secretary of State Michael Adams.
Several other important sporting events, film festivals, conferences and meetings have been canceled globally.
(With inputs from AP)