The Force isn’t with us this year (which should be quite obvious at this point). 2020’s Star Wars Celebration has been canceled. The event was set to take place at the Anaheim Convention Center on August 27-30. It has been postponed until August 18-21, 2022, but will remain at the same venue. It has traditionally not been an annual gathering, which is why the delay is for two years, and there was one just last year.
The first Star Wars Celebration took place in April-May 1999 and has spread to include local conventions in Europe and Japan. Unlike, say, San Diego Comic-Con, Star Wars Celebrations float around to different locations, allowing for more fans access. This is the first one to ever be canceled.
Those who purchased tickets to this year’s show have the option of obtaining a refund or rolling their tickets over to the 2022 gathering. Those that pre-ordered exclusive merchandise can choose to either still receive it or request a refund. (Who would do that?!) It was also announced that the exclusive merchandise that would have been available to purchase will instead be sold on the internet, with details coming soon.
The official statement reads (courtesy of StarWars.com):
At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number one priority. 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.
This is just the latest in the long line of… well, EVERYTHING that has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If there is an upside to this news, it’s that there really isn’t much new ‘Star Wars’ stuff coming up. Disney has an unnamed ‘Star Wars’ movie penciled in to be released on December 16, 2022, but that seemed like a longshot even before the pandemic. Disney has also staked out dates in December 2024 and 2026 for the franchise.
There are also a few TV projects headed to Disney+, but they have been impacted by the coronavirus shutdowns, so there may not be much to report about them at this point.
Are you disappointed that Star Wars Celebration won’t take place this year? Are you hoping to attend in 2022?
