Wizard World Postpones New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland Events Due to COVID-19 Restrictions

The past year has impacted nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, as the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have done away with a lot of social gatherings. Conventions - particularly comic book conventions - have had a unique evolution within that stretch of time, with in-person events being cancelled or postponed amid the virus' spread. Plenty of major conventions were cancelled or held virtually over 2020 -- and it looks like several 2021 conventions are now joining that list. On Tuesday, Wizard Brands, Inc. announced that it would be postponing a trio of its January 2021 conventions, which were scheduled to take place as early as this coming weekend. The postponing has made due to current COVID-19 restrictions, and in accordance with the federal, state, and local guidelines for the respective locations.

Wizard World New Orleans, which was originally poised to take place from January 8-10, will now be held on January 7-9, 2022 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Wizard World Philadelphia, which was scheduled for January 15-17, will now be held on November 12-14, 2021 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Wizard World Portland, which was scheduled from January 29-31, will now be held on January 28-30, 2022 at the Oregon Convention Center.

Fans who have already purchased general admission and/or VIP tickets for the original events will be able to use the tickets at the rescheduled dates. Artists, exhibitors and others associated with the event can expect communication from Wizard Brands soon regarding the new dates.

In the meantime, Wizard Brands is continuing to offer Wizard World Virtual Experiences, a virtual event that provides free group video Q&As featuring celebrities, as well as artists, authors, cosplayers, trivia, karaoke and other elements of the Wizard World event experience.

These Wizard World delays come on the heels of a slew of similar other decisions made by high-profile conventions, with many scheduling things out into late 2021 or early 2022. This includes Los Angeles Comic Con, which has plans to hold an in-person event in September, and Emerald City Comic Con and Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, both of which have plans to be held in December of 2021. Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, which was originally expected to occur in August of 2020, took things a step further by delaying into August of 2022. It is unclear exactly what the fate will be for major conventions like San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con, both of which are held in the later portion of the year.

What do you think of Wizard World delaying three of its January 2021 conventions? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!