We were all expecting most 2020 conventions to have been cancelled, but the complete inability of most of the planet—and the United States in particular—to get its shit together means that we’re already starting to see big 2021 shows thrown in the bin as well.
Katsucon is the first, announcing earlier today that “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of Katsucon 2021.”
The organiser’s full statement reads:
It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of Katsucon 2021. This decision was reached after every possible scenario to hold our event safely was considered. We have been working for several months on structural changes to the convention layout and operation in order to make a safe Katsucon 2021 possible. While we had every intention of moving forward with the safest possible convention under these structural changes, in the end, we and the Gaylord National Convention Center have come to the conclusion that we are unable to hold our event up to our standards per current county and state COVID regulations, making it impossible to have Katsucon in February 2021.
While our goal is to put on the best convention possible, ultimately it is the health & safety of our staff, guests, and attendees that is of the utmost concern. We know that this decision may have seemed inevitable in the face of this global pandemic, but that makes this no less heartbreaking to see a Katsucon missed for the first time in 27 years. We at Katsucon, along with the staff from our sister anime conventions throughout the country, join in asking that you stay safe so that we can see you all again in 2022.
Considering we went most of 2020 without big shows, the reality that some/most of them won’t be returning until 2022 is starting to look like a distinctly depressing reality.