Anime NYC Cancels 2020 Event Due to COVID-19

Anime NYC is one of the biggest anime conventions out there, and the event has made the difficult decision to cancels its in-person event this year. The decision was made in light of the ongoing pandemic and its impact within the United States. Currently, there are no firm plans for a digital event, but an in-person convention is already on the books for 2021.

“As we near summer’s end, in light of both governmental direction and general public h health advisories, a face-to-face event is just not possible at this time with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Tatara, the convention’s show director, said in a new statement.

“A tremendous thank you again to the Anime NYC and Javits Center teams for all the planning you’ve done, to all the support from Crunchyroll and everyone across the anime industry, and to you – all the fans in NYC and beyond who love to come together and celebrate with our anime family. Stay safe, wear a mask, and we’ll be back November 19-21, 2021!”

For guests who already registered for the event, you will be able to roll over your tickets to 2021 or simply get a refund. This also applies to exhibitors, and any guest who booked lodging through the convention’s official hotel block will get automatic refunds. This automated process makes it easier to part ways with Anime NYC, and there may be more of the con to come this year. After all, this statement suggests a virtual event may be in the works, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

After all, a slew of anime events has had to go virtual in light of COVID-19. Anime Expo is one of the biggest cons yet to host a virtual gathering, and it was joined by Funimation the same weekend. Later this month, Crunchyroll Expo will also go digital for its first-ever virtual event.

Do you hope to attend the East-coast anime convention next year…? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!