COVID-19 SF/F Event Cancellations as of 8/17/20

• The Columbus 2020 NASFiC, planned for August 20-23, 2020 in Columbus OH, has been canceled. “We will not be offering any refunds but, that being said, we still plan on publishing a souvenir book for all attending and supporting members. We may have a virtual event on the weekend of August 20-23.  We’ll update everyone on that later once we have some plans.”
• Bubonicon, scheduled for August 28-30, 2020 in Albuquerque NM has been canceled. The next Bubonicon will be held August 20-22, 2021.
• DragonCon 2020, scheduled for September 3-7, 2020 in Atlanta GA, has canceled their in-person event. They are planning a virtual “free to the universe experience” for Labor Day weekend 2020. More details will be posted on their website.
• Albacon, scheduled for September 11-13, 2020, has postponed its annual convention to 2021, with Sharon Lee and Steve Miller agreeing to remain as guests of honor. “Memberships will roll over but anyone wishing a refund may request one from treasurer@albacon.org.”
• FantasyCon 2020, scheduled for September 25-27, 2020 in London, has been canceled. “The FantasyCon 2020 committee will, instead, be running FantasyCon 2022.” Memberships can be transferred or refunded.
• MileHiCon, planned for October 23-25, 2020 in Denver CO, is instead holding a virtual convention on those same dates.
• Fantastika 2020, Sweden’s national SF/fantasy literature con (the Swecon), scheduled for March 20-22 in Stockholm and postponed until October 23-25, 2020, has now been canceled. Current plans are to hold it March 18-21, 2021.
• The World Fantasy Convention, planned for October 29 – November 1, 2020 in Salt Lake City UT, is becoming an online conference (because the convention hotel has canceled all in-person gatherings for the remainder of 2020). The organizers hope to have “a variety of online offerings,” including readings, panels, art demonstrations, interviews, small group meetings, a virtual exhibit hall, and more.
• Windycon 47, scheduled for November 13-15, 2020 in Lombard IL, has been canceled. It will be held November 12-14, 2021, with the same guests, “COVID permitting.”
• CONtraflow 10, scheduled for November 13-15, 2020, has been postponed to October 1-3, 2021 at the Airport Hilton, Kenner LA. DeepSouthCon 58, hosted by CONtraflow, is planning a virtual mini convention for November 14, 2020.
• Hispacón, planned for November 13-15, 2020 at the Centro Cultural de Montequinto, Dos Hermanas, Spain, has been postponed to 2021. Hispacón 2020 will be held online.
• OryCon 42, originally scheduled for November 13-15, 2020 in Portland OR, has been postponed to November 12-14, 2021. They are planning an online event for the original dates.
• Philcon, scheduled for November 20-22, 2020 in Cherry Hill NJ, will be held virtually: “The current limitations on meetings imposed by the State of New Jersey would not permit Philcon to proceed at the hotel.”
• ConFusion 47, scheduled for January 16-19, 2020 in Detroit MI and postponed to January 15-17, 2021, has been postponed again to 2022.
• COSine 2021, scheduled for January 29-31, 2021 in Colorado Springs CO, is postponing their convention until January 14-16, 2022.

Earlier canceled events:

• Emerald City Comic Con, scheduled for March 14-20, 2020 in Seattle WA, is attempting to secure new dates for the summer.
• The 41st International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, scheduled to run March 18–21, 2020 in Orlando FL, has been canceled. The theme and guests of honor will be retained for ICFA 42, scheduled for March 17–20, 2021.
• The Spectrum Awards ceremony was to be held at Planet Comicon Kansas City, March 20-22, 2020 in Kansas City MO, which has now been canceled.
• MidSouthCon 38, scheduled for March 20-22, 2020 in Memphis TN, has been postponed to 2021.
• The Texas Library Association Annual Conference, planned for March 24-27, 2020 in Houston TX, has been canceled.
• The Outer Dark Symposium, originally to be held March 27-28, 2020 in Conley GA, has been postponed until August 14-15, 2020.
• The Bologna Book Fair, first scheduled for March 30 – April 2, 2020 in Bologna, Italy, later announced a postponement to May 4-7, 2020, and then canceled entirely. The next event will be held April 12-15, 2021.
• The annual Williamson Lectureship, planned for April 2-4, 2020 in Portales NM, has been postponed, likely to September 2020.
• Norwescon 43 in Seattle WA, scheduled April 9-12, 2020 has been canceled.
• Minicon 55 in Minneapolis MN, to be held April 10-12, 2020, has been postponed to April 2-4, 2021.
• The 36th L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future workshops, and the gala event scheduled for April 3, 2020 in Hollywood CA, will be postponed until later this year.
• ConStellation 11, originally scheduled for April 17-20, 2020 in Lincoln NE has been canceled.  Organizers hope to reschedule for July or August.
• Swancon, scheduled for April 25-27, 2020 in Perth, Australia, has been canceled.
• Ravencon 15, scheduled for April 24-26, 2020 in Williamsburg VA, has been postponed to April 16-18, 2021 and will take place in Glen Allen VA.
• The Edgar Awards banquet and symposium, planned for April 30, 2020 in New York, has been canceled.
• Malice Domestic, scheduled May 1-3, 2020 in North Bethesda MD, has been postponed, with new dates TBD.
• The Bay Area Book Festival, scheduled for May 2-3, 2020 in Berkeley CA, is skipping this year, and will next be held May 1-2, 2021.
• Creative Ink, to be held May 15-17, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has been canceled.
• The British Book Awards, planned for May 18, 2020 in London, will now take place June 29, 2020.
• LitFest Pasadena, scheduled for May 16-17, 2020 in Pasadena CA, has been canceled.
• Baycon, scheduled for May 22-25, 2020 in San Mateo CA, has been postponed until November 6-8, 2020.
• Balticon 54, planned for May 22-25, 2020 in Baltiimore MD, has been canceled. They are hosting a “virtual Balticon” on those dates instead.
• Wiscon 44, scheduled for May 22-25, 2020 in Madison WI, has been canceled.
• Book Expo in New York, already postponed from May to July 22-24, 2020, has been canceled.
• The SFWA Nebula Conference, scheduled for May 28-31, 2020 in Woodland Hills CA became “an entirely virtual conference, which will be live and interactive from May 29th-31st,” including “panels, solo presentations, conference mentorships, workshops, forums, chats, and virtual room parties (including a dance party hosted by John Scalzi). A portion of the funds we raise will go to assist SFWA members financially affected by COVID-19… the Nebula Awards ceremony will stream live at 8 pm Eastern on May 30th.”
• The 32nd Annual Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony, to be held June 8, 2020 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York, has been canceled.
• This year’s Clarion workshop, scheduled for June 20 – August 1, 2020 has been canceled. This is the first summer the workshop hasn’t met in 52 years. Accepted students will be able to attend a future workshop.
• Clarion West, scheduled for June 21 – July 31, 2020, has also been canceled. Accepted students will attend in 2021, with the same instructors.
• The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for June 25-30, 2020 in Chicago IL has been canceled.
• The Locus Awards Weekend, scheduled for June 26-28, 2020 in Seattle WA, will now host a virtual awards ceremony to be held on June 27, 2020. A virtual writers workshop is also planned.
• Westercon 73, planned for July 2-5, 2020 in SeaTac WA, has been postponed to July 1-4, 2021. Westercon 74 will be postponed a year as well, and will run July 1-4, 2022 in Tonopah NV.
• NEFilk 2020 , planned for July 3-5, 2020, has been rescheduled to June 18-20, 2021 in Danbury, CT. An online filk music event is being planned for the original weekend.
• Readercon 31, scheduled for July 9-12, 2020, has been postponed to July 8-11, 2021 in Quincy MA. Jeffrey Ford and Ursula Vernon will remain our Guests of Honor, with Vonda N. McIntyre as our Memorial Guest of Honor.
• San Diego Comic-Con International, scheduled for July 23-26, 2020, has been canceled. It will be replaced by Comic-Con@Home, an online event offering “the best of the Comic-Con experience and a sense of its community to anyone,” scheduled for the same dates. The next in-person event will be held July 22-25, 2021.
• CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention in Wellington, New Zealand, scheduled for July 29 – August 2, 2020, became the first ever “virtual Worldcon.”
• The Romance Writers of America Annual Conference, scheduled for July 29 – August 1, 2020 in San Francisco CA, has been canceled. RWA has planned a virtual conference, scheduled for August 28-30, 2020, featuring “three days of inspiring speakers, enlightening workshops, and energizing networking.”
• The Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop, planned for August 2020 in Laramie WY, has been canceled.
• PulpFest, scheduled for August 6-9, 2020 in Pittsburgh PA, has been postponed to August 5-8, 2021.
• StokerCon UK in Scarborough, UK, which was postponed to August 6-9, 2020, has been postponed again to January 28-31, 2021. According to their latest statement, “all existing memberships and hotel bookings will be carried forward to the new dates.”
• ArmadilloCon 42, scheduled for August 8-9, 2020 in Austin TX, will be a virtual convention instead, to be held August 28-30, 2020.

Smaller events have also been canceled, like the March and April “SF by the Bay” programs at the San Francisco Public Library, the March Writers with Drinks reading in San Francisco, the March Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading in New York (though the latter provided a livestream of readings by Daniel Braum and Robert Levy on March 18, 2020), and the April meeting of Charm City Spec in Baltimore MD. The Horror Writers Association Librarian’s Day at the Naperville IL public library has been postponed from May 7, 2020 to November 12, 2020. The televised Canada Reads competition, planned for March 16-19, has been postponed.

We will update as new information comes to light. If you have information about cancellations, please write to locus@locusmag.com.