The 2021 San Diego Comic-Con will now be held as an in-person event, and is currently scheduled for this upcoming November. The convention, which has been given the name Comic-Con Special Edition, will be the first in-person convention produced by the organization since the start of the global pandemic, as well as the first one planned since Comic-Con 2020's cancellation.
Earlier this month, Comic-Con International, the non-profit organization behind Comic-Con, had previously announced that all hopes of allowing for the 2021 San Diego Comic-Con event to be held as an in-person Comic-Con convention had been postponed until 2022. This was, in part, due to COVID-19 as well as the ongoing complications surrounding the gathering of a large number of people in a public space. At the time, it was stated that the 2021 San DiegoComic-Con convention would instead be held virtually, with the next in-person Comic-Con scheduled for July 20-24 of the following year.
RELATED: Comic-Con Postpones In-Person Events Until 2022
Traditionally, Comic-Con has been a highly anticipated event that showcases a variety of multi-genre entertainment from various comics, films, anime, manga, and pop culture. However, with the current state of the world due to the pandemic, many of these in-person events have had to either be canceled or postponed. Others have opted for having virtual events instead, but even those can come with their own limitations for both organizers and attendees.
With many Comic-Cons having been canceled, it now seems that the San Diego Comic-Con 2021 will be moving forward with the idea of holding an in-person convention later this fall. In the statement released, Comic-Con International expressed that by this upcoming November, it hopes that conditions will improve and permit for larger public gatherings. The 2021 San Diego Comic-Con is now planned for this year's Thanksgiving weekend. The event will be held at the San Diego Convention Center and will take place over three days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from November 26th to the 28th.
According to the announcement, the organization behind the convention also hopes that the event may assist in further stimulating the local economy.
“While we have been able to pivot from in-person gatherings to limited online events, the loss of revenue has had an acute impact on the organization as it has with many small businesses, necessitating reduced work schedules and reduction in pay for employees, among other issues,” said David Glanzer, a spokesperson for the non-profit organization. “Hopefully this event will shore up our financial reserves and mark a slow return to larger in-person gatherings in 2022.”
As of now, there has not been much information released to the public regarding the 2021 San Diego Comic-Con. The organization is still finalizing the remaining details of the event, such as badge costs and attendance capacity. However, it is expected that more relevant information may be released in the coming months.
The San Diego Comic-Con convention is currently scheduled for this Thanksgiving weekend, November 26th through the 28th.
MORE: Biggest Gaming News of the Week: 3/21/21 - 3/27/21
Source: San Diego Comic-Con Convention