San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled due to coronavirus.
While the convention was slated to run July 23-26, it will not happen and rather will come back in 2021, officials said in a statement Friday.
It is the first cancellation in the convention’s 50-year history.
>> Coronavirus: WWE deemed essential business by Florida’s governor
Organizers of Comic-Con said Gov. Gavin Newsom said it would not be safe to hold the event that brings 135,000 attendees together at the San Diego Convention Center.
“The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine,” Newsom said Tuesday, according to CNBC. “So large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers altogether across every conceivable difference, health and otherwise, is not in the cards based upon our current guidelines and current expectations.”
>> Coronavirus fact check: Is microwaving a fabric mask a good way to sanitize it?
SDCC is the flagship convention where Hollywood announces projects, teases films and allows fans to interact with stars from the small and big screen. It is also known for the elaborate costumes fans put together.
Comic-Con has canceled its premiere event in San Diego because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event, scheduled for July, has been held for 50 years and draws about 130,000 attendees a year. https://t.co/SJYWuQvwDh pic.twitter.com/2J6oYd0GeT
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 17, 2020
Many projects are on hold due to COVID-19, so planning for the convention may have also been difficult, Entertainment Weekly reported.
People who already bought their tickets for SDCC can either get a refund or transfer them to next year. They will be contacted by email by convention organizers, CNBC reported.
Fans spend about $88 million over the event each year and book about 220,000 hotel room nights, according to Entertainment Weekly.
