New York’s Japanese Pop Culture Convention Rescheduled to 2021
New York, NY (August 17, 2020) – Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll today announced its 2020 event has been cancelled due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, the second largest Japanese popular culture convention in the USA, was scheduled for November 20-22, 2020 in the Javits Center in New York, NY. Its 2020 edition has been cancelled entirely, and its next installment is now scheduled for November 19-21, 2021.
Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll was to celebrate its fourth year this year and set to bring together over 50,000 passionate attendees, premiere screenings, celebrity guests, and major Japanese entertainment brands including Crunchyroll, Aniplex of America Inc., Bandai Namco Arts, Bluefin, Funimation, GKIDS, HIDIVE, Kinokuniya, Kodansha, Sentai Filmworks, SUNRISE, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. In previous years, the event has played host to guests such as producers and directors Yoshiyuki Tomino, Eunyoung Choi, and Fumihiko Sori; voice actors Aoi Yuki, Rie Kugimiya, and Setsuo Ito; and musical guests Aimer, Guilty Kiss, and Luna Haruna.
“After tremendous deliberation, we feel postponing until 2021 is the only right decision we can make,” said Anime NYC Show Director Peter Tatara. “We look to create an exciting, inviting, safe, and healthy celebration for New York’s anime community – and there’s no way to currently achieve this without putting this same community at coronavirus risk.”
All attendees who purchased tickets to Anime NYC will have the option to roll their tickets over to 2021 or receive refunds. Likewise, all exhibitors will have the option to move their booths to 2021 or be refunded. Attendees and exhibitors should all look for email communications in the next 72 hours with additional details.
Due to the continued COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, cities and states across the USA have limited large gatherings and begun to use convention centers, themselves, as virus testing sites and hospitals. Anime NYC is only the latest large event to postpone, and most conventions, conferences, and other major events across the US have cancelled throughout 2020’s spring, summer, fall, and winter months.
While Anime NYC 2020 won’t physically take place, the team behind Anime NYC looks to present alternative and online programming and events before November 2021. Last month, Anime NYC launched the Anime News Network Connect presented by Anime NYC project which features ongoing online anime events together with industry partners. Anime NYC will have more announcements, too, around additional ways it looks to celebrate the anime industry and anime fandom while physically remote.
Anime NYC 2021 tickets, guests, and further details will begin to be announced later this year, and fans wanting to learn more can subscribe to the Anime NYC newsletter and follow the event on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
ABOUT ANIME NYC POWERED BY CRUNCHYROLL:
Anime NYC Powered by Crunchyroll is New York City’s anime convention! A showcase of the best of Japanese pop culture in the biggest city in America, Anime NYC brings anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. The next event takes place November 19-21, 2021 in New York’s Javits Center, and we invite you to join over 50,000 fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, cosplay, movies, food, fashion, travel, technology, toys, and games in the heart of NYC! For more, visit animenyc.com.