Star Wars Celebration Releases Statement on Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, with things still uncertain in the weeks and months to come. Anything involving large gatherings has been severely impacted by the pandemic, as current social distancing guidelines advise against clusters of more than ten people. As a result, several of the major conventions that were scheduled for later this year have been postponed or cancelled entirely, including July's San Diego Comic-Con. Many have wondered if 2020's Star Wars Celebration, which is scheduled to kick off later this year in Anaheim, CA, will eventually follow suit. In response to that speculation, Star Wars Celebration team has sent out an official update to ticketholders, letting them know that they are "actively and continuously [monitoring] the situation", and will provide additional announcements in the coming weeks.

"At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is our number one priority. Given global developments related to the COVID-19 virus, we want to share some of the steps Star Wars Celebration is taking to actively and continuously monitor the situation," the statement reads. "We are in contact with the city of Anaheim, the Anaheim Visitors Bureau, and the Anaheim Convention Center. We are committed to ensuring that our event plans meet or exceed the latest public health guidance, including that of local and state authorities as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

"This is a very dynamic situation, with a rapidly changing landscape," the statement continues. "While the opening day of Celebration is still four months away, we are actively assessing the most up to date information and following all directions from federal, state and local public health authorities regarding large public gatherings in the state of California. In the event that we postpone or cancel Star Wars Celebration we will offer all fans the option to either transfer their tickets to the new event dates or receive a full refund of their ticket order."

"Additional announcements about the status of the event will be made in the coming weeks as we review the most up to date guidance from state and local health authorities," the statement concludes. "We know how much Star Wars Celebration means to all of you, and we will make every effort to give you as much advance notice as possible regarding any changes to our plans."

This update will surely be a relief to those who were planning to attend the convention, particularly with the mention of giving "as much advance notice as possible" for those who bought tickets or other travel expenses to change their plans. The update also comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom stated earlier this month that large scale events with hundreds or thousands of people are "not in the cards" for the state until a vaccine becomes available. Given that last year's Star Wars Celebration Chicago drew an estimated 65,000 fans, it's safe to say that it would fall into that category.

Star Wars Celebration Anaheim is currently scheduled to be held from August 27th through August 30th.