More and more entertainment events are having to adapt to the global coronavirus pandemic, with the latest one of them being the San Diego Comic Con. In a recent announcement made on social media, the much-awaited convention announced it will be held online this year.
According to Deadline, the 2020 installment of the famed convention will now be streamed online. While no exact date has been set, the publication assumes it will be around July 23, as the physical version of the event was originally scheduled to start around that date.
In the announcement made on San Diego Comic Con’s Twitter account, it promised no lines, free parking, front row seats, comfortable chairs, personalized snacks, and pets during this at-home edition. This is, of course, poking fun at some of the complaints often lodged about the yearly convention.
As pointed out by Entertainment Weekly, this will be the first time in its history that the convention will be canceled. The cancelation was announced last month, a decision that organizers said was difficult as numerous fans save up for the event and stakeholders and exhibitors also depend on the convention for their incomes. However, organizers felt it was unsafe to hold the convention after taking into account health advisories and statements from the Governor of California.
Choosing to just stream Comic Con this year does seem to be the smarter decision, as confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions update for May 10, there are now 1,300,696 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are at 78,771 people.
Comic Con is just one of the many entertainment events that have had to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic. In Europe, the Venice Film Festival is still going to be held from Sept. 2 to 12 but with several changes instituted.
For one, organizers do not expect a lot of foreign press or participants to take part in the festival. Festival organizers are also looking to help make coverage of the festival easier for foreign press by looking into digital alternatives. They are also negotiating with the Italian government to allow them to use cinemas since it would be easier to keep track of a few cinemas as opposed to thousands all over the country.
Just like the United States, COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the world. According to the World Health Organization’s update for May 10, 3,917,366 people are now confirmed to have COVID-19 worldwide. Globally, 274,361 people have died because of COVID-19.