While the United States is moving forward with its vaccination plans well, including a fast-track that will have enough shots for all adults as of the end of May 2021, the world itself is not going to be ready for a fully back to normal thing anytime soon. It’s going to take awhile to actually get to that point and the folks at Anime Expo know that a lot of people, even once vaccinated, are not going to just snap back to life as it was. With that and a host of other things in mind, they’ve opted to cancel the physical aspect of the convention this year and have opted for an Anime Expo Light event on July 4th, 2021.
With the continued uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, it is apparent that we will not be able to safely hold a physical show this July for Anime Expo 2021.
We will miss gearing up for a full weekend of parading around the LACC and reuniting with friends just as much as you will, but we take comfort in knowing this separation is only temporary and that it’s the right thing to do. While we’re not able to meet in-person, we still want to celebrate 2021 in honor of our 30th anniversary, and we will continue to share stories, photos, and memories with #AnimeExpo30th!
As previously announced, all attendee badge holders and Artist Alley table packages have been refunded as part of our transition to a new registration system. If you opted to roll over, don’t worry! You’ll still get priority access when registration is available in the future. Exhibitors who opted to rebook from 2020 to 2021 will receive more information via email.
And yes, Anime Expo Lite will return on July 4th weekend! While we know that nothing can ever fully replicate the magic of in-person events, we recognize that online communities have long been an integral part of Anime Expo’s culture. Anime Expo has been streamed since 2017 and will continue to be part of the experience. As always, we’re seeking fresh, engaging content for you to enjoy, and we hope you’ll join us! Be sure to sign up for email updates to learn more.
We continue to strive towards bringing you new, exciting things and can’t wait to share them with all of you in the future!
We thank each and every one of you for being a part of our wonderful community. Anime Expo will be back again in the future thanks to all your love and support.
Be safe and stay well,
Ray Chiang
CEO
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
Check out the tweet below for links as well and further discussion.
We will not have a physical event for #AX2021. #AnimeExpoLite will return on July 4th weekend.
Read the update on our website → https://t.co/MQdTt7oUtT pic.twitter.com/FGvgZVzMhZ
— Anime Expo (@AnimeExpo) March 3, 2021