It’s a massive understatement to say that ReedPOP and MCM Comic Con have had on hell of a trying 2020: the pandemic bringing the pop culture landscape (and, pfff, fine – all of modern life) to a standstill, leading to cancellations, pivoting to virtual presentations and ultimately job layoffs within the organisation.
However, with the promise of life returning to some kind of normality with vaccines being rolled out and lockdowns having the desired effect of bringing infected numbers down (fingers crossed – keep washing your hands and keeping your distance, everybody!), the convention titans have announced their plans and are aiming for the giant engine of Comic Con in the UK to stir back into life in 2021… But maybe not as soon as many would hope.
ReedPop and MCM have announced that two MCM Comic Con shows will be taking place this year:
- MCM London Comic Con at the ExCel Centre in the Capital’s Docklands over the weekend of 22nd to 24th October, and
- MCM Birmingham Comic Con at the National Convention Center, over the weekend of 13th and 14th November.
Quite a way away, then. Disappointing, to be sure, as this basically says to the fandoms of the UK that the organisers feel that mass gatherings are simply not viable in this country until way past Summer, with the cancellation announcement of the March show in Birmingham, the big May event in London and the Manchester and Scotland shows.
This doesn’t mean that the ReedPOP/MCM gang will be completely dormant through most of 2021, with plans full steam ahead for their ground-breaking Metaverse virtual shows kicking off in the Spring and rolling out throughout the year. Metaverse was one of the slicker, more high-profile of the virtual cons that took up the slack for pop culture enthusiasts during 2020.
Indeed, the organisers are determined to make findthemetaverse.com a regular home for ‘con merchants’ beyond the planned weekends, with news and updates being posted throughout the year. Any further news, we will, of course, keep you up to date, especially when it comes to the talent that they will be bringing to fans, online and then later on in the year in person.
From the official release:
MCM Comic Con Sets Return for 2021
MCM Comic Con Schedule Announced with Physical Events Resuming 2021 in London and Birmingham
Today, ReedPop – the world’s leading producer of pop culture events – unveiled the upcoming MCM Comic Con schedule, including a series of virtual Metaverse events in the spring and summer, and provided that it can be done safely, the return of physical events in 2021. MCM Comic Con is looking forward to welcoming fans back to MCM London on 22-24 October, 2021 and MCM Birmingham on 13-14 November, 2021. Tickets for these shows will be available online prior to each event, and additional information regarding the show format and health and safety measures that will be put in place will be announced in the coming months.
Due to COVID-19, these will be the only physical MCM events taking place in 2021. While this means that MCM will not host events in Birmingham (March), London (May), Manchester and Scotland in 2021, fans won’t have to wait too long for an opportunity to geek out with fellow pop culture lovers. This year’s con season will kick off with a spring Metaverse, followed by virtual events set for the summer. Through Metaverse, fans can virtually experience a 365-day celebration of all things pop culture including access to exclusive content, nerdy merch, and one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences, making it easier for more people to enjoy the MCM Comic Con experience remotely through FindtheMetaverse.com.
“We want to thank our fans for waiting patiently during this challenging and unprecedented time while we focus on bringing them the best pop culture events in the UK in a safe, responsible and fun way,” said Teresa Heitor, MCM Comic Con Event Director at ReedPop. “The enjoyment and wellbeing of our attendees, guests and community remains our top priority. We can’t wait to gather with you all again and until then, our team remains hard at work to continue creating events with the superior quality content and show experiences that we know our fans expect.”
Fans can stay up to date on the latest news at FindTheMetaverse.com and MCM’s social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
