Anime Boston, the largest anime convention in New England, announced that it is cancelling its 2020 convention, which was scheduled to take place from April 10-12, 2020 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

On March 13, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a ban on all gatherings of 250 people or more in an effort to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The ban is set with no end date until the governor announces otherwise.

Anime Boston hosted more than 25,000 attendees in 2019.

“We hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy,” said Kristen Leiding, Convention Chair. “We certainly hope to see you at the next Anime Boston, April 2–4, 2021.”

By default, those who were preregistered for Anime Boston 2020 will have their memberships transferred to the 2021 convention. Anime Boston is operated by the non-profit New England Anime Society, and revenue from the convention goes into operational costs for the convention and for NEAS. Those who allow this transition to occur will allow the convention and NEAS to remain financially stable and help cover the expenses already incurred for the now-cancelled 2020 convention.

Additional information regarding this cancellation, potential refunds and more can be found at the Anime Boston website.