Staff has begun issuing refunds for canceled 2024 event
The official website for the Texas-based anime convention A-Kon provided an update on its financial situation on May 14, its first update in more than a year since it canceled its 2024 event in February 2024. The convention staff said that it will not hold an event in 2025, and is exploring the possibility of an event for 2026, though noted that 2027 is a more realistic date.
The staff also added that last week, it has begun issuing refunds for pre-registrations for its canceled 2024 event. The update noted that the staff remains committed to having a better financial situation to hold future events, and it plans for the event to “get back to its roots.”
In February 2024, the convention staff said that the ripple effects from the COVID-19 pandemic caused unexpected challenges, which compounded with A-Kon’s own “unique challenges.” The statement explained that during the pandemic, the con set up a Board of Investors to keep the event “financially afloat.” However, the Board of Investors has run into funding delays, and the state of Texas had promised subsidies to cover certain expenses, but those are also delayed. The staff stated they are “unable to honor [their] agreements with [their] venues, reboot [their] website, sign talent, or move forward with planning the con” until the funding arrives.
As with many other anime cons in 2020, A-Kon canceled the event planned for May 2020 due to the pandemic. The organizers had tentatively planned for an event in June 2021, but that was delayed as well to 2022.
The event was held at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas from June 3-5, 2022, and then another event was held at the same venue on June 2-4, 2023.
The convention was first held in 1990, and is North America’s longest-running anime convention.
Source: A-Kon’s website
