Lucasfilm officially announced Star Wars Celebration 2020 is cancelled. In 1999, Lucasfilm launched a series of fan conventions known as Star Wars Celebration. The first was intended to serve as part of the buildup to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and they've since become some of the most popular fan events worldwide. Over 30,000 people flock to Anaheim to participate.
Of course, 2020 has been a bad year for fan conventions. The coronavirus pandemic, and its associated lockdowns, led to a string of cancellations across the board. Even the popular San Diego Comic-Con was pulled, to return in 2021. It's understandable since the packed auditoriums and corridors would make a fertile breeding ground for the virus. Given that context, many fans have been wondering whether or not Lucasfilm would follow suit and cancel Star Wars Celebration 2020. Still, some had held out hope, given it wasn't due to happen until August this year.
Today, Lucasfilm confirmed Star Wars Celebration 2020 has indeed been cancelled. They released an official statement, in which they expressed their regret for the decision but explained they felt it was inevitable:
"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.
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."
Fans who had already purchased tickets can choose to transfer those to 2022, receiving a limited-edition Stormtrooper character pin as thanks. Alternatively, they can also choose to receive a refund, or exchange the cost of the ticket for credits for Star Wars merchandise. Pre-orders will still be honored, but people can choose to request further refunds instead. According to Lucasfilm, the refund/merchandise credit request process will run from Monday June 22 to August 26, 2020, with exclusive Star Wars Celebration merchandise available for purchase online soon. Meanwhile, hotel reservations booked through Lucasfilm's official housing portal will naturally be cancelled.
Lucasfilm is right to call this decision disappointing, but sadly it's hardly unexpected. The statement hints at the vast scale of Star Wars Celebration, which involves countless exhibitors, guests, and staff members in addition to its 30,000 attendees. Furthermore, the prospect of disruption to the event was considerable, given guests flock to Anaheim from over 40 different countries. The convention is utterly dependent on a working and efficient global transport system, and there's no way to know how airlines will be operating in August. Lucasfilm's decision should serve to remind everyone the entertainment sector will be feeling the effect of coronavirus for quite some time. In this case, it's impossible to know how many announcements and marketing plans are being rescheduled and disrupted. Anyone expecting a speedy return to normal will be doomed to further disappointment.
Source: Lucasfilm