That sound you just heard is a few thousand Comic-Con attendees hearts breaking. Actor Zachary Levi shared a note in an Instagram story today that while he “can’t go into details just yet”, Nerd HQ will not be happening for San Diego Comic-Con 2018.
He went on to add that it “probably won’t be returning to San Diego ever again”. However, he did offer fans some hope, by suggesting that they’re potentially looking to bring Nerd HQ to other cities in the future.
Nerd HQ, which held its first offsite in 2011, has long been one of the hottest tickets at San Diego Comic-Con, offering attendees a cool place to hang out and a chance to see celebrities in an intimate setting – but it’s also struggled with funding over the years. The very popular Conversations for a Cause panels donate all proceeds to the charity Operation Smile, which meant that the offsite was fully funded by sponsors and merch sales. It saw a reduced presence in 2017, only holding the fan dance parties through a joint-venture with Syfy at the New Children’s Museum.
Comic-Con International has also seemed to crack down on panels being held outside the convention center – both Nerdist’s short-interview-style panels and Nerd HQ disappeared last year.
How do you feel about Nerd HQ not returning to San Diego Comic-Con? Let us know in the comments.
