Harking back to the dark days of festivals and events being cancelled, and cinemas being closed, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic continues to be felt in the entertainment world, even as it looks like elements are gearing back up. The latest big show to see its 2020 ambitions curtailed is Star Wars Celebration.
Back in April, the Celebration organisers announced that they were monitoring the situation before making a decision as to whether the fan-fest could go ahead in August. As it turns out, the answer is no. "At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number one priority," read a tweet from the event's Twitter page. "Due to the global impact of the COVID-19 virus and in speaking with local and state authorities on the latest public health guidelines related to indoor conventions, we have made the decision to cancel Star Wars Celebration for 2020. While this news is disappointing, we are happy to announce that Star Wars Celebration will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on August 18-21, 2022."
Those who planned to attend can either request a refund or transfer their tickets to the 2022 version, and people who purchased merchandise can opt to receive their gear or request their own refunds. More details can be found here.
And given the relative lack of new Star Wars content – Baby Yoda And Friends aside – that could be platformed, the delay may work in the event's favour.