Los Angeles Comic Con had been held annually since 2011 but was canceled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 123,000 fans took part in the event in 2019.

LOS ANGELES, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Comic Con, one of the most diverse and celebrated pop culture events in the United States, will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December, organizers announced Thursday.

Los Angeles Comic Con had been held annually since 2011 but was canceled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had originally been scheduled for September 2020 and delayed to December 2020 in response to the pandemic. Organizers initially planned a return in September 2021.

Chris DeMoulin, chief executive officer of Comikaze Entertainment, the parent company of L.A. Comic Con, noted in a statement that "we've seen how 2021 is playing out, we've concluded that the new December dates feel the most accessible for the largest number of fans."

"By that point in the year, more people will likely feel safe attending an in-person event, and we also wanted to ensure that our dates wouldn't interfere with people's holiday plans," DeMoulin said, adding that "considering all of the precautionary factors in terms of vaccines, safety trends and California color-coding, we believe the Dec. 3-5 dates yield the best chance of being able to host our most complete in-person show."

Organizers also said that the 2021 event will have more streaming offerings than ever before for fans who prefer not to attend the gathering in-person.

Over 123,000 fans took part in Los Angeles Comic Con in 2019.

The outbreak of COVID-19 last year has caused numerous events to be cancelled or postponed in California to reduce the chance of transmission of the coronavirus. California authorities issued a stay-at-home order in March 2020 to contain the pandemic in the most populous U.S. state with a population of some 40 million. The order limits non-essential gatherings to no more than 250 people.

California governor Gavin Newsom announced earlier this month that the state plans to fully reopen activities and businesses beginning June 15 amid falling coronavirus cases.