Coronavirus: The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Conventions Canceled So Far

Last updated Monday, June 30th at 12:00 PM EST

The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, and within the United States, the number of cases has risen drastically—to the point where numerous states and municipalities have issued state of emergency declarations and issuing restrictions on heavily-trafficked events.

Those events include major science fiction, fantasy, and gaming conventions, as well as adjacent events like conferences. We’ve compiled a list of major and regional events that have been postponed, canceled, or which are as of now still running.

Be aware that individual conventions on this list could change abruptly, and that it’s always good to check with the convention in question before making or confirming plans. We’ll work to update this list as situations change.

If you represent a convention, please let us know if you have updates that you’d like included.

Canceled: Westercon 2020, July 2nd – 5th

Westercon has announced that this year’s event will not go forward, but will instead take place in 2021. Westercon 74 will take place in 2022.

Sally Woehrle, chair of Westercon 73 SeaTac, said that Westercon 73 could not take place as originally scheduled in 2020 due to Washington state’s COVID-19 restrictions on large group events. The SeaTac Doubletree Hotel has agreed to move Westercon 73 to 2021. Current hotel reservations have been cancelled and can be rebooked after July 20, 2020. Westercon 73’s new dates are Thursday, July 1 through Sunday, July 4, 2021.

Canceled: Anthrocon, July 2nd-5th

Pittsburgh’s Furry convention was to be held in July, but has been canceled.

Canceled: Florida SuperCon, July 3rd-5th

The convention was initially postponed until July 3rd-5th, but organizers have since announced that the event will be canceled in 2020, and will return in 2021.

Canceled: ReaderCon, July 9th-12th

Readercon’s organizers announced on April 17th that the convention would be canceled.

If we determine that it is not advisable to hold the conference in early July, we will postpone Readercon 31 to our contracted date of July 8th to 11th, 2021, at the Marriott Boston Quincy. At that time, we will give all members and program participants the option to keep their memberships or get a full refund of their purchase.

Canceled: MCM Comic Con London, July 10th-12th

ReedPop has announced that it has canceled this year’s Comic Con London, along with its other MCM conventions in the UK.

Canceled: Blerdcon, July 17th – July 19th

Black pop-culture convention BlerdCon announced that it will not take place this year, and is instead moving to 2021.

Please read our statement here or on Instagram/Facebook. pic.twitter.com/6oBd2AzCUb

— BlerdCon (@blerdconDC) May 11, 2020

Canceled: EmCon, July 18th-19th

EmCon of Nottingham, UK has announced that it will not run in 2020, but will instead return in May 2021.

An Update on Em-Con Nottingham. #staysafe #seeyouin2021 pic.twitter.com/FY2pby2s2m

— EM-Con (@emconcouk) May 11, 2020

Moving Online: San Diego Comic-Con, July 23rd-26th

Comic-Con International announced on April 17th that this year’s convention would be canceled, and that it will return in July 2021. However, the convention will hold a virtual event this year.

Canceled: Confluence, July 24th – 26th

Confluence has been canceled for 2020, and will return on July 23rd-25th, 2021.

If you have already purchased a membership for Confluence 2020 it is still active and will automatically roll over to 2021. If you plan to attend in 2021 you don’t need to do anything. Everyone who has a membership for 2020, has a membership for Confluence 2021.

Canceled: Pennsic War 49, July 27th-August 7th

This year’s annual Pennsic War, the largest annual event put on by the Society for Creative Anachronism, has been canceled.

When I took on the office of Mayor of Pennsic 49, I promised to, and was entrusted with, the welfare and safety of the entire Pennsic Family. It is therefore with great sadness that I must inform you today that, we have decided to postpone Pennsic 49, scheduled for July 24, 2020 through August 9, 2020 to July 30, 2021 through August 15, 2021.

 

Moving Online: World Science Fiction Convention 78, CoNZealand, July 29th-August 2nd

One of the biggest events within the SF/F world, WorldCon has canceled its physical event, and will be replacing it with a virtual one.

The strong belief that we can put on a great Worldcon has led us to the decision to make CoNZealand a virtual convention. Our Tech Division is confident they can deliver a virtual Worldcon and are excited about the possibilities.

We are standing by our decision not to cancel, but in consideration of the health, safety, and wellbeing of our members and crew, we think that holding a large face-to-face event, even if it were possible would be irresponsible.

Moving Online: Gen Con, July 30th-August 2nd

One of the longest-running conventions out there, Gen Con has been canceled this year, and will hold a virtual event in its place.

Canceled: LeakyCon, July 31st – August 2nd

This year’s Harry Potter fan convention was set to take place in Orlando, Florida and Denver, Colorado, but has been canceled. The two events will return next year:

• LeakyCon Orlando: June 25th-27th
• LeakyCon Denver: October 29th-31st

Canceled: Otakon, July 31st – August 2nd

This year’s long-running anime convention Otakon was set to take place at the end of July in Washington DC. Organizers have announced that this year’s in-person event will not take place, but will instead return in 2021.

Canceled: MCM Comic Con Manchester, August 1st-2nd

ReedPop has announced that this year’s convention in Manchester will be canceled.

Going Online: Game Developers Conference, August 4th-6th

The Game Developer’s Conference was scheduled for February, but canceled due to the outbreak. It will now take place on August 4th – 6th online.

Canceled: QuakeCon 25, August 6th-9th

This year’s QuakeCon, a celebration of all things id Software and Bethesda in Grapevine Texas has been canceled. The event is expected to return in 2021.

An update on QuakeCon 2020: pic.twitter.com/1FYUauI7PY

— QuakeCon (@QuakeCon) March 31, 2020

Canceled: Boston Fan Expo, August 7th-9th

This year’s Boston Fan Expo has been canceled:

With FAN EXPO Boston still a few months away, we have been optimistic we’d be able to gather to celebrate fandom. Based on the continued challenge globally and in Boston, that COVID-19 presents, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel FAN EXPO Boston 2020 — it will return August 6-8, 2021.

On Schedule: Planet Comicon Kansas City, August 14th-16th

Kansas City issued an emergency order in March, and accordingly, Planet Comicon’s organizers have announced that they will delay this year’s event to a “late summer or early fall” date. Guests include Jim Butcher, Claudia Gray, Adam Savage, Kevin J. Anderson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and more.

The convention has since been moved to August 14th-16th.

Canceled: NASFIC, August 20th – August 23rd

This year’s North American Science Fiction convention has been canceled. Organizers say that they will not be offering refunds.

Going Online: Emerald City Comic Con, August 21st-23rd

ReedPop initially postponed Emerald City Comic Con for August 21st-23rd. The con has now been officially canceled, with a virtual event set to replace it. The con will return next March.

On Schedule: Wales Comic Con, August 22nd – 23rd

Wales Comic Con has announced that it is rescheduling this year’s show for August 22nd and 23rd. (h/t @ann_mc)

Canceled: Star Wars Celebration, August 27th-30th

Lucasfilm’s big Star Wars convention has been canceled, and won’t return until 2022.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, we’ve made the decision to cancel Star Wars Celebration 2020. While this news is disappointing, we’re happy to announce #StarWarsCelebration will return to Anaheim in 2022. Full statement with ticket transfers/refunds info at https://t.co/o2ObVULVVF pic.twitter.com/CnRWHZhuDq

— StarWars Celebration (@SW_Celebration) June 15, 2020

Going Virtual: ArmadilloCon 42, August 28th-30th

Texas’ ArmadilloCon was set to take place at the end of August, but has been shifted online in light of the pandemic.

Going Online: Dragon Con, September 3rd – 7th

Atlanta, Georgia’s Dragon Con has announced that it’ll cancel this year’s in-person event, and will go virtual for 2020.

Canceled: Oxonmoot, September 3rd – 6th

The Tolkien Society’s annual gathering has been officially cancelled.

Following the publication on Monday of the UK Government document “Our Plan to Rebuild”, describing their Covid-19 recovery strategy, it is clear that some level of social distancing will still be required in September, and this has a dramatic impact on the way the spaces in college can be used – for example the capacity of the Hall is reduced by almost 80%. This has led the college to advise that they do not feel able to accommodate our event. In addition, the proposed introduction of a 14-day self-isolation period for overseas travellers would make it difficult for overseas members to attend.

On Schedule: Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention, September 11th-13th

Chicago’s Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention has announced that it is rescheduling (via File 770) to September 11th-13th following the state’s ban on events.

Canceled: MCM Comic Con Scotland, September 26th – September 27th

ReedPop has announced that this year’s Scotland convention would not take place.

Going Online: MileHiCon 52, October 2rd-25th

Denver, Colorado’s MileHiCon has announced that it’ll be a virtual convention in 2020.

Because we are going Virtual, we will not be able to provide all of the program types that we have had in the past. We will not be holding the art and literacy auctions, active/kids track (though there will be some kid-friendly programming), the con suite, and Critter Crunch. The art show, vendors room, and Authors Row will be available but in a totally different format. Panel discussions, presentations, readings and demonstrations will still be offered.  There may also be some totally new types of programming. We will be announcing more information about the program schedule at a later date.

 

Going Online: World Fantasy Convention, October 29th-November 1st

This year’s World Fantasy Convention was to take place in Salt Lake City, UT this year, but organizers have announced that the in-person convention will not take place. Instead, it’ll move online.

We’ve monitored the COVID-19 situation, as has every other mass gathering in recent months. Our primary goal has been, and will continue to be, the safety of our members. Because our convention is still many months away (29 October – 01 November 2020), we hoped for a return of a measure of normalcy and safety that would allow us to gather with our friends and professionals in the fantasy and horror genre. That decision was made for us last week when our hotel cancelled all in-person meetings for the rest of 2020.

On Schedule: London Film and Comic Con, November 20th-22nd

This year’s London Film and Comic Con was originally scheduled to take place in July. It’s since been moved to November 20th-22nd.

Canceled: Denver Pop Culture Con, November 27th – 29th

The Denver Pop Culture Con was initially scheduled for July 3rd-5th, and had been shifted to November 27th-29th. The convention has now officially been canceled for 2020, and will return in May 2021.

“We’re profoundly disappointed that we won’t be able to hold Denver Pop Culture Con this year, but the health and safety of our community is our highest priority. We are committed to doing as much as we can to reduce frustration and inconvenience as everyone deals with this unprecedented situation. And in the meantime, we’ll get to work on creating a fantastic event for 2021.”

Past events

Canceled: SXSW, March 13th-22nd

Austin Texas’s major multimedia festival South by South West was canceled by the City of Austin after numerous sponsors and attendees announced that they would not attend.

The event is typically home to indie movie premieres and television reveals: Amazon was set to debut its upcoming television series Tales from the Loop, while Moon VFX Supervisor Gavin Rothery was scheduled to premiere his debut film, Archive. The event is expected to return in 2021.

Canceled: Costume-Con 38, March 13th-16th

This year’s Costume-Con 38 has been cancelled. According to organizers on March 12th, the “we are constraint to follow the Prime Minister directives to cancel any event bigger than 250 persons.”

https://twitter.com/38Costume/status/1238158413600886784

Canceled: Tucson Festival of Books, March 14th-16th

Tucson’s Festival of Books was set to take place this coming weekend, but has been canceled by event organizers, who cited numerous author withdrawals, and the cancelation of numerous hands-on activities.

Authors scheduled to attend were Chuck Wendig, who noted on his blog earlier this week that he withdrew because of the outbreak. Numerous other authors scheduled to attend had also withdrawn from the event. The event will return in 2021.

Canceled: International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts, March 18th-21st

ICFA organizers announced that this year’s convention has been canceled.

We believe it would be irresponsible for us to hold the conference because travel poses a public health threat, so ICFA is cancelled. We now must enter into negotiations with the hotel to try to minimize the financial damage. At this time, our policy to credit registration forward (as opposed to refunds) has not changed, but we will give you an update when the situation becomes clearer.

Canceled: Zenkaikon 2020, March 20th-22nd

Lancaster PA’s Zenkaikon 2020 announced its cancelation on March 12th.

Anyone who purchased a membership for Zenkaikon 2020, or bought an artist alley or dealers room table, will be refunded in the coming weeks. Given the amount of refunds that will need to be processed, we kindly ask for your patience. If you would prefer us to rollover your membership to Zenkaikon 2021 in lieu of a refund, you may use this form to make the request.

The event will return on March 19th-21st, 2021.

Postponed: Ace Comic Con, March 20th-22nd

Ace Comic Con was set to take place in Boston between March 20th and 22nd with a number of high-profile guests, including Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tessa Thompson, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Keri Russell, and many others.

Organizers announced that this year’s event would be canceled after the state of Massachusetts declared a State of Emergency. “After many hours of consultation with the BCEC, a city-owned facility, it was determined that running the event at its regularly scheduled date/time is not possible due to ‘force majeure’. Organizers say that they’re looking to reschedule.

Canceled: NoVa Teen Book Festival, March 14th

Organizers of NoVa announced on March 10th that they would be canceling this year’s convention. Authors this year would have included Alechia Dow, M.K. England, F.C. Lee, and others.

The convention encouraged attendees to support the authors who would have been attending, and noted that they would still be giving away ARCs and other swag to buyers who ordered through the festival’s page. The event will return on March 20th, 2021.

Canceled: River Region Comic Con, March 14th-15th

Montgomery Alabama’s regional comic con announced on March 13th that it was canceled.

Canceled: Virginia Festival of the Book, March 18th-22nd

Virginia has reported numerous cases of COVID-19 in the last couple of weeks, and after the University of Virginia issued advisories on traveling, Festival of the Book organizers announced that this year’s event would be canceled, and that it won’t be rescheduled in 2020.

While the Festival is not inexpensive to produce, we understand that the costs of canceling are great as well. We ask that you please consider purchasing books (from local booksellers) by authors whose programs you were hoping to attend. Further, we will do our best to share information in the future about local events with authors who had been previously scheduled to speak at this year’s event.

Authors set to attend the event included Kelly Braffett, T.J. Klune, Rachael Sparks, Anita Felicelli, Megan Angelo, and more.

Canceled: Outlantacon, March 19th-22nd

Atlanda, Georgia’s LGBTQ+ convention has announced that it will not take place this year, and will transfer all memberships to 2021.

Canceled: Clockwork Alchemy, March 20th-22nd

The organizers behind California steampunk convention Clockwork Alchemy have announced that they have cancelled this year’s upcoming show:

It is with heavy hearts that, in accordance with the public health guidelines of San Mateo County and the Governor’s Office of California regarding the spread of COVID 19, we must announce the cancellation of Clockwork Alchemy 2020 (March 20-22, 2020).

Next year’s convention it scheduled for March 19th-21st.

Canceled: MidSouth Con, March 20th-22nd

Tennessee’s MidSouthCon has been canceled.

After long discussions with the Board of Directors of MidSouthCon and the hotel, we all feel the most responsible course of action in light of this is to postpone MidSouthCon until next year, March 19-21, 2021.

Previously, the convention organizers had planned to remain open.

Canceled: Ithacon, March 21-22nd

This year’s Ithacon of Ithaca, New York is officially canceled. However, they are “planning some digital events and activities that will be made available through our social media platforms and website.”

Everyone who purchased tickets for 2020 will receive a full refund. These will be sent by March 13, although they may not show up on credit card statements until the next billing cycle. An email will automatically be sent to the purchaser when the refund is processed.

 

Postponed: International Science Fiction Prototyping Conference, March 23rd-25th

The SciFi-It conference of Ghent, Belgium has officially been postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date between June and September 2020.

Canceled: Adepticon, March 25th – 29th

Wargaming convention Adepticon in Schaumburg, IL has been canceled:

The AdeptiCon staff is already vigorously working on details around issuing requests for credits/refunds, the handling of prepaid merchandise, badge upgrades and other related items. We will provide to our attendees and exhibitors final plans to address the unprecedented circumstances that the COVID-19 virus has thrust upon us by April 15th or sooner.

Postponed: Montclair Literary Festival, March 25th-29th

The Montclair Literary Festival of Montclair NJ will be postponed, according to organizers: “We hope to reschedule all ticketed events as soon as health officials deem it safe. We are already discussing future dates with all ticketed event authors and moderators.” This year’s program would have included Tochi Onyebuchi, Madeline Miller, and others.

The new, tentative date is September 12th.

Canceled: GameStorm 22, March 26th-29th

Gaming convention GameStorm 22 announced that it will not be running in March, and that the convention will be canceled.

GameStorm 23 is slated for March 25th-28th, 2021.

Canceled: ApollyCon 2020, March 26th-29th

Washington DC’s ApollyCon announced they were canceling this year’s event, but the virtual offerings would still go forward.

All previously scheduled program will be removed. This includes the panels, parties, signings, and special events. Some authors who are local to the area or who have not been able to change their plans due to previously scheduled events will still be in attendance to either give out pre ordered books and/or conduct meet and greets. As soon as we have that information for you, we will share that. The digital side of ApollyCon 2020 will still proceed forward. This includes shipping/packing of Titan/ApollyCon/1001 Dark Nights/Brunch bags for those who are unable to attend due to a health risk and schedule modification, and processing of the Virtual Signing with staff on site.

Canceled: Pokémon GO Safari Zone St. Louis, March 28th

Niantic has announced that it has canceled its Safari Zone Pokémon GO event in St. Louis. The company says that it will reschedule for sometime in the next 12 months. Trainers have until March 25th to request a refund.

Postponed: 44th Annual Jack Williamson Lectureship, April 2nd-3rd

This year’s Jack Williamson lectureship, which was slated to feature Rebecca Roanhorse and James Patrick Kelly has been postponed, and will be rescheduled for the fall of 2020.

Postponed: Writers of the Future Annual Awards Gala, April 3rd

The event’s organizers noted on the event’s website that “In the best interest of the winners, judges, and guests, the workshops and gala event set to take place in Hollywood, CA, on April 3rd will be postponed until later this year.” The organization has scheduled the event for August 27th, 2020.

This year’s annual L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 36 will be published on schedule on April 7th, 2020.

Canceled: HELIOSphere 2020, April 3rd-5th

HELIOSphere 2020 in Tarrytown NY announced on Facebook that it has been canceled this year.

At this time, we don’t know whether we will be postponing or simply cancelling for this year. We will keep you posted as we work out the details with the hotel.

 

Postponed: San Diego Writers Festival, April 4th

This year’s San Diego Writers Festival has been officially postponed:

When initial concerns over COVID-19 arose, we had hoped to move forward with the addition of safety protocols. However, with the increasing uncertainty over this novel coronavirus and mindful of our priority to the health and well-being of all of our participants, it became clear to us postponing was the most prudent course of action.

A makeup date has yet to be announced.

Canceled: Tolkien in Vermont, April 4th-5th

The organizers of University of Vermont’s annual Tolkien in Vermont conference announced on Facebook that they would be canceling the event in 2020, and would reschedule for 2021.

Canceled: East Coast Game Conference, April 7th-9th

North Carolina’s ECGC has announced that it will cancel this year’s event. It is scheduled to return April 20th-22nd, 2021.

Canceled: Norwescon 43, April 9th-12th

Seatac, Washington’s SF/F convention has been canceled, per an announcement from the convention’s executive team (via File 770).

The Philip K. Dick Award was slated to be announced at this convention on Friday, April 10th, and will be announced elsewhere.

Canceled: Whos Yer Con, April 10th-12th

Whos Yer Con, a free gaming con located in Indiana, has announced that it has canceled this year.

Canceled: ConGlomeration, April 10th-12th

Louisville Kentucky’s ConGlomeration has announced that it is canceling this year’s show — and it’ll be the last ever ConGlomeration.

For those asking why we are cancelling, rather than merely postponing, we simply have no idea if or when a suitable replacement date and venue would become available. We cannot hold our guests, staff, or resources in limbo for an indeterminate amount of time. And, as this was our final convention, we have no “next year” to simply “roll over” this year’s plans and people into.

Canceled: Concentric 2020, April 10th-13th

This year’s Eastercon in Birmingham has announced that it is canceled for this year.

Important Announcement from the committee Please Read! The committee has now taken the hard decision in conjunction with the hotel to cancel Concentric 2020 for the health and safety of all of our members. 1/5

— Concentric 2020 (@2020Concentric) March 21, 2020

Canceled: WonderCon Anaheim, April 10th-12th

WonderCon Anaheim, the comics convention run by Comic-Con International (it also runs San Diego Comic-Con) noted that it has canceled this year’s event, and that it will return in March 2021.

Canceled: LepreCon 46, April 10th-12th

Chandler, Arizon’as LepreCon 46 initially said that it wouldn’t cancel, even as the convention’s guest of honor, Robert McCammon, has stepped down. (via File 770)

Now, the convention has announced that it will no longer run in 2020, although there’s the possibility that it could be rescheduled.

The hotel saw the writing on the wall, and agreed to invoke the “force majeure” clause of the contract which basically covers natural disasters and acts of god. We will be OK financially. There needs to be a falloff in corona cases and a halt to the disruptions before we can do any planning about LepreCon’s future. There is a possibility the current convention may be rescheduled later in the year. If this turns out not to be feasible, there is always next year.

Canceled: AnimeBoston, April 10th-12th

Organizers reported on March 14th that following the state’s ban on gatherings of 250 people ore more, they have opted to cancel the convention this year. The con will return in 2021, and attendees who have already purchased tickets will have them transferred to next year’s con.

Our executive board has reviewed the possibilities of postponing the 2020 convention for later in the year. After careful consideration, we have decided it would not be feasible to reschedule Anime Boston 2020 and meet the same high standards you have come to expect from us. We are a completely volunteer organization and all of the preparation is done in our personal time. Retooling the convention for later this year would be extremely difficult to achieve, given the need to coordinate the availability of the Hynes Convention Center, Sheraton Boston hotel, other hotels, guests, and exhibitors. One of the possible options we were given was in December, which would take away preparation time for Anime Boston 2021 and cause it to suffer in quality as well

 

Canceled: Star Wars Rival Run Weekend, April 16th-19th

This year’s Star Wars-themed half-marathon at Disney has been canceled.

Postponed: ClexaCon, April 16th-19th

ClexaCon, a Las Vegas convention for LGBTQ+ women, trans & non-binary fans and creators, has announced that it is postponing next month’s convention to later this summer.

We have been working closely with our partners at The Tropicana and the city of Las Vegas, and have decided to reschedule ClexaCon for late summer 2020. We are disappointed that we will not see you next month, but grateful that The Tropicana was willing to work with us to move this event to a time where this pandemic will hopefully be under much better control. We are already working with our amazing special guests to try and reschedule their appearances for these dates. We wanted to tell you as soon as possible. We will let you know the exact dates shortly.

 

Canceled: StokerCon UK, April 16th-19th

This year’s StokerCon, set to be held in Scarborough has announced that it is canceling this year.

We have done everything we can to try to continue with StokerCon UK but, unfortunately, this is a fast-changing situation and, even though the UK still has one of the lowest rates of infection in the world, with other countries closing or restricting their borders and, understandably, an increasing number of cancellations, we are left with no choice but to radically reappraise the situation as it now stands.

Canceled: Known World Rapier and Costuming Symposium, April 17th-20th

Society for Creative Anachronism event KWRAC announced that it would be canceled:

Due to the extenuating circumstances at this time, the Known World Rapier and Costuming Symposium has been postponed indefinitely. We would like to thank everyone who has shared their time and talents to bring us this far and also, please know we will certainly be hosting a Known World event in the future. Until then, please take care and stay safe!

 

Canceled: Pokémon GO Safari Zone Liverpool, April 17th

Niantic has announced that it has canceled its Safari Zone Pokémon GO event in Liverpool, UK. The company says that it is looking into a new date. Trainers have until April 12th to request a refund.

Postponed: LA Times Festival of Books, Stories & Ideas, April 18th-19th

The Los Angeles Times Book Festival was set to take place in April, but following California’s emergency declaration, organizers have announced that it has been postponed until October 3rd and 4th, 2020.

The Book Prizes awards ceremony, planned for April 17, will not be held this year. Book Prizes honorees and winners will be acknowledged through an announcement which remains scheduled for April 17.
This year would have included the inaugural Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction, the finalists of which included Ted Chiang, Amal El-Mohtar, Brian Evenson, Max Gladstone, Marlon James, and Namwali Serpell. John Scalzi was also scheduled to attend.

Postponed: Chicago Humanities Book Festival, April 19th-July 12th

Held annually, the Chicago Humanities Book Festival runs for several weeks in the spring and summer, with hundreds of authors and events. in the Windy City. Organizers have said that they are canceling and rescheduling some events through May 1st.

Canceled: Unbound Book Festival, April 23rd-25th.

Missouri’s Unbound Book Festival has announced that it is canceling with the intent of returning in 2021.

Canceled: Calgary Expo, April 23rd – 25th

This year’s Calgary Expo has been canceled. The show will return in 2021.

When we postponed the April show to July, we believed that would be enough time for things to settle down. We have been in touch with community partners, and despite all of our efforts and collaboration, it has become clear that July is not a viable option.  We understand how important this show is to so many people and we’re grateful for the fierce passion we have seen from community partners and online. You deserve a celebration worthy of the time that goes into your booths, cosplay, and travels. This year, that is unfortunately not possible. If you purchased a ticket for the show, you will be receiving a refund.  You do not need to take any action.

Canceled: RavenCon 15, April 24th-26th

The organizers of Williamsburg VA’s RavenCon have announced that it will cancel after the state banned gatherings of more than 50 people.

As a result, we will continue with our plans to relocate RavenCon back to its original home in Richmond, Virginia. RavenCon 15 will now be held the weekend of April 16–18, 2021 at the Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Canceled: West Coast Culinary Symposium — South, April 24th-26th

The SCA and Kingdom of Caid’s West Coast Culinary Symposium has been canceled:

WCCS has been postponed until further notice. We are trying to reschedule this for later in 2020 working with the site and Kingdom Calendar. Once we have dates, we will also be confirming with our current guest speaker if she will be attending as well. We should be finalizing new dates by March 20th whether it is a reschedule or a complete cancellation for 2020.

 

Canceled: PenguiCon, April 24th-26th

Southfield MI’s PenguiCon has been canceled, according to its organizers,

It is with sadness, but also hope, that I am able to announce that the Westin has offered to move our contract to April 2021. This means that Penguicon 2020 has officially been cancelled. We think this is in the best interest of our community, our organization, and the greater communities we live in.

 

Postponed: Independent Bookstore Day, April 25th

Industry event Independent Bookstore Day has been postponed to an unspecified date later this year, per Publishers Weekly.

Postponed: Vermont Sci-Fi & Fantasy Expo, April 25th-26th

This marks the second year that this convention has been held by Vermont Gatherings. The organizers have announced that in light of new state and federal requirements, they’re postponing to a date later this year.

Canceled: FilkONtario, April 26th-29th

Filk convention FilkONtario has announced (via File 770) that it is canceling this year’s show:

While we may have been able to wait a while longer and see how things develop, we felt that it was our responsibility to make a decision and inform everyone sooner, rather than later, in the hopes that people are able to change their plans

We love our community, and deeply regret cancelling. However, we don’t feel that getting together at the height of a global pandemic, to sing in a closed environment, is in the best interests of that community. I’ll say no more on that point, as I am sure you are all as aware of the factors involved as we are.

Postponed: Starfest 2020, May 1st-3rd

Starfest 2020 of Denver CO has announced that it will postpone until later this year.

Due to the Coronavirus and the public ban on gatherings of more than 250 people, StarFest will be rescheduled for a later date. All tickets purchased for StarFest will be transferred to the new date.

We are currently working with the Marriott Hotel on available options and we will post an update here once the new date has been confirmed.

Postponed: Free Comic Book Day, May 2nd

Diamond Comics has postponed (via io9) the annual retailer day until a date later this year.

“The severity and timing of the impact of the COVID-19 virus can’t be predicted with any certainty, but the safety of our retailer partners and comic book fans is too important to risk. As always, we appreciate your enthusiasm for and support of the comic industry’s best event and look forward to celebrating with you later in the Summer,” said Diamond Founder and CEO, Steve Geppi.

Canceled: Bay Area Book Festival, May 2nd -3rd

Organizers announced that the event would be canceled. John Scalzi was scheduled to attend. It will return on May 1st and 2nd, 2021.

Canceled: Warhammer Fest UK, May 2nd – 3rd

Games Workshop has announced that it is canceling this year’s Warhammer Fest, and that they’ll be closing a number of their stores.

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, we’ve also had to temporarily close a number of Warhammer and Games Workshop stores. Those that are still open may be operating unusual or reduced hours. If you’re planning a visit to your local store, we’d suggest you give them a call first or check out their Facebook page to make sure that they’re open.

Postponed: MoCCA Arts Festival, May 4th – 5th

MoCCA Arts Festival has announced that it is postponing this year’s event, but has yet to find a suitable date.

It is with the safety and well-being of our community that we have made the difficult decision to reschedule the MoCCA Arts Festival. We are currently working with Metropolitan West to find a suitable replacement date.

Canceled: Toronto Comic Arts Festival, May 8th-10th

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival announced (via Bleeding Cool) that it is canceling this year’s event.

The response within Canada and internationally has been progressing extremely rapidly, with significant protocol changes being made every single day. TCAF’s team has spent the past two weeks interfacing with leaders in the comics community, TCAF partners, sponsors, venues, our Board of Directors, and health care officials, about the best way to move forward, and we have decided to cancel this year’s festival based on that feedback, and due to the restrictions on travel and events, with no forecasted end to quarantine measures.

Canceled: MarCon 55, May 8th-10th

Worthington OH’s MarCon 55 has been canceled (via File 770) after the state’s emergency declaration.

It’s official: This morning I received the email from the hotel honoring the Force Majeure clause in our contract.

To our members: your continued support is incredible. Without your attendance, this event could not have happened for the past 54 years.

Canceled: Pokémon GO Safari Zone Philadelphia, May 8th

Niantic has announced that it has canceled its Safari Zone Pokémon GO event in Philadelphia, PA. The company says that it is looking into a new date. Trainers have until May 6th to request a refund.

Canceled: East Coast Comicon, May 15th-17th

East Coast Comicon Meadowlands NJ announced that after shifting its dates to July 3rd-5th, it has canceled this year’s convention:

Due to the current uncertainty of the covid-19 crisis, we have canceled the 2020 con. We will be refunding ticket holders, photo ops, and exhibitors in the coming weeks.

Canceled: Burning Cat, May 16th-19th

Intended to be the first annual event from the creators of Exploding Kittens, the organizers have announced that they will postpone until 2021.

We’ve been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in the Pacific Northwest. Exploding Kittens has come to the difficult decision to postpone our first annual Burning Cat until 2021. We were so excited to bring our community together in real life for the first time, but your safety is our first and foremost priority. Regardless of ticket type, everyone will be receiving a full refund and no further action is required.

Canceled: Anime North 2020, May 22nd – 24th

Anime North of Toronto reports that it this year’s convention has been canceled, and that the show will return in 2021.

Although the currently announced measures do not last to the end of May, it appears quite likely that they will be extended or that even stronger restrictions may be implemented by the time of our planned convention dates. We must also bear in mind the health and wellbeing of our attendees during the current pandemic.  Given the current situation and recommendations, it simply does not appear possible to hold a 35,000-odd person gathering two months from now and still minimize risk of exposure to infection. In addition, keeping all our attendees, staff, guests, and convention partners in a state of constant uncertainty about our plans is unfairly stressful in the circumstances.

Moving Online: PaizoCon, May 22nd-25th

Paizo initially announced that it will cancel this year’s convention, but has since announced that the event will move online.

The event will include seminars and live-plays on Twitch, games scheduled via Warhorn and run on a variety of VTT platforms such as Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, Astral, and D20Pro, an official PaizoCon Online Discord server as a general hangout for con-goers, plus blogs on paizo.com, and more!

Canceled: WisCon 44, May 22nd – 25th

Organizers announced on March 24th that the event has been canceled, and that they’re working to put together an online event to replace it in 2020.

Moving Online: BaltiCon 54, May 22nd-25th

The convention’s organizers have announced that they will cancel this year’s physical convention, and that the event will move to a virtual model.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) has canceled Balticon 54.  In its place, BSFS is pleased to present a free Virtual Balticon over Memorial Day weekend. The virtual convention will kick off Friday night May 22nd, 2020 and run until Monday afternoon.

Canceled: KublaCon Game Convention, May 23rd – 27th

KublaCon organizers announced that this year’s convention would not take place, and would return in 2021.

Moving Online: Nebula Conference, May 28th-31st

SFWA has said that this year’s physical convention won’t take place, but it will be replaced with a virtual convention.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the board of SFWA feels that holding an in-person event this May would be irresponsible.

The Nebula Conference will include panels, solo presentations, conference mentorships, workshops, forums, chats, and virtual room parties (including a dance party hosted by John Scalzi). A portion of the funds we raise will go to assist SFWA members financially affected by COVID-19.

Canceled: BookExpo, May 27th-29th / BookCon, May 30th-31st

ReedPop’s BookExpo and BookCon has been canceled.

Canceled: MegaCon Orlando, June 4th-7th

MegaCon Orlando initially announced that it was shifting its dates to June 4th-7th, but on May 7th, announced that it would not run in 2020. The event will return in 2021.

An update from MEGACON Orlando.
Learn more: https://t.co/dddbVTeGPD pic.twitter.com/pRfVSlDlLB

— MEGACON Orlando (@MegaConOrlando) May 7, 2020

Canceled: Electronic Entertainment Expo, June 9th-11th

E3 is one of the biggest events in the video gaming world, and was schedule to take place in June. The organization announced on March 11th that it was canceling this year’s event, which will return in 2021.

Canceled: LibertyCon 33, June 12th-14th

Chattanooga, Tennessee’s science fiction convention won’t go forward this year: its organizers have announced that the convention center won’t host them due to the outbreak. The convention will return in 2021.

Canceled: Cosplay America, June 12th-14th

This year’s Cosplay America convention was to be held between June 12th and 14th in Cary, North Carolina. However, the convention has announced that it will not take place this year.

If you have already bought a badge, you we can move it to 2021. If you’d like a refund, please give us until the end of next week to finishing setting that up for you.