WonderCon Officially Cancelled, No Longer Postponed

With the efforts to contain the coronavirus and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease, many events and conventions have been either postponed or canceled, and that continues to evolve and happen as more information about the pandemic is gathered. You can now officially add WonderCon to the latter list, as the convention has moved from postponed status to officially canceled. It was set to take place on April 10th through the 12th but was postponed to an unknown date. As things have changed and shifted in the landscape regarding the coronavirus, however, they've decided it's simply not safe to reschedule it, and they will instead hold the next one next year on March 26th through the 28th.

Comic-Con International released an official statement on canceling WonderCon, saying "Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim, which was to have been held April 10-12, 2020 will return to the Anaheim Convention Center from March 26-28, 2021." That statement also had details regarding their canceling of San Diego Comic-Con, and you can find the rest of the statement below.

"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.

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.

SDCC also announced that individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Exhibitors for Comic-Con 2020 will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to Comic-Con 2021 and will also receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to process their request.

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."

"Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision," said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. "We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy."

Many expected Comic-Con and WonderCon to eventually cancel their 2020 dates, and now it's officially happened. Most of the big shows or conventions through August have either postponed or canceled and depending on how things with COVID-19 progress, events and shows towards the end of the year might also have to make adjustments.