| VidCon | |
| Status: | Active |
| Genre: | Online video influencer conference |
| Country: | United States |
| Last: | June 26 – 29, 2024 |
| Next: | TBD |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
| Attendance: | 75,000 (2019) |
VidCon is an annual convention for influencers, fans, executives, and online brands. The event primarily features prominent video stars from across the internet. It was founded by veteran YouTube creators John and Hank Green (Vlogbrothers), and was later acquired by Viacom (now Paramount) in 2018 and later acquired by Informa in 2024. Its offices remain in Missoula, Montana, sharing a building with Complexly. VidCon's international presence continues to expand with additional events planned in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Mexico City, Australia, and São Paulo. In October 2020, VidCon Now relaunched as an ongoing, free digital offering.
The first VidCon was held on July 9–11, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles and sold out in advance,[2] with over 1,400 people attending.[3]
In February 2018, Viacom (owner of the Viacom Media Networks and film studio Paramount Pictures) announced that they were acquiring VidCon, as part of its efforts to expand its live events business and expand from TV programming to next-generation entertainment platforms. Jim Louderback will remain the CEO of the convention, and co-founder Hank Green will continue to be involved and work closely with the team. Its offices will also exist in Missoula, Montana.[4] [5] Internet reception to this acquisition was mixed, with some noting the irony of Viacom acquiring VidCon a decade after their lawsuit against Google and YouTube for copyright infringement. Hank Green reassured fans that Viacom's acquisition[6] would allow the convention to flourish.[7] [8] Three conferences were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a series of online programming, VidCon Now, became available for registration.[9]
In March 2021, VidCon announced that it would host its next U.S. conference at the Anaheim Convention Center from October 22–24, 2021, delayed from its usual summer scheduling in order to increase the chance that an in-person event could be held.[10] VidCon also announced that TikTok would be the top sponsor of the 2021 event, replacing YouTube who had been the main sponsor since 2013.[11] On August 20, however, VidCon announced the cancellation of its 2021 event "due to the recent increases in COVID-19 cases [in California] and evolving health and safety mandates." The convention was rescheduled to June 22–25, 2022 in Anaheim.[12] The 2023 event was held between June 21–24 and was sponsored by YouTube for the first time since 2019. In September 2024, Viacom's successor Paramount Global sold VidCon to Informa.[13]
| Year | Date | Venue | City | Country | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VidCon 2010 | July 9–11, 2010 | Hyatt Regency Century Plaza | 1,400 | |||
| VidCon 2011 | July 28–30, 2011 | 2,500 | [14] | |||
| VidCon 2012 | June 29-30, 2012 | Anaheim Convention Center | 7,000 | [15] | ||
| VidCon 2013 | August 1–3, 2013 | 12,000 | [16] | |||
| VidCon 2014 | June 26–28, 2014 | 18,000 | [17] | |||
| VidCon 2015 | July 23-25, 2015 | 20,000 | [18] | |||
| VidCon 2016 | June 23-25, 2016 | 26,400 | [19] | |||
| VidCon Europe 2017 | April 8–9, 2017 | RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre | Amsterdam, North Holland |  Netherlands | ||
| VidCon 2017 | June 22-24, 2017 | Anaheim Convention Center |  United States | 31,000 | [20] | |
| VidCon Australia 2017 | September 9–10, 2017 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | Melbourne, Victoria |  Australia | ||
| VidCon Europe 2018 | March 22-24, 2018 | Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam | Amsterdam, North Holland | Netherlands | ||
| VidCon 2018 | June 20-23, 2018 | Anaheim Convention Center | United States | 75,000 | [21] | |
| VidCon Australia 2018 | August 31–September 2, 2018 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | Melbourne, Victoria | Australia | ||
| VidCon London 2019 | February 14–17, 2019 | ExCeL London | London, England |  United Kingdom | ||
| VidCon 2019 | July 10-13, 2019 | Anaheim Convention Center | United States | 75,000 | [22] | |
| VidCon Australia 2019 | September 19–22, 2019 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | Melbourne, Victoria | Australia | ||
| VidCon Asia | Dec 3, 2019 – Dec 4, 2019 | Raffles City Convention Center | Downtown Core |  Singapore | ||
| VidCon London 2020 | February 20–23, 2020 | ExCeL London | London, England | United Kingdom | ||
| VidCon 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. | |||||
| VidCon 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. | |||||
| VidCon Asia 2021 | November 25, 2021 | Suntec Convention Centre | Marina Centre | Singapore | ||
| VidCon Abu Dhabi | December 3–6, 2021 | Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre | Abu Dhabi |  United Arab Emirates | ||
| VidCon Mexico 2021 | December 3–6, 2021 | Citibanamex Center | Mexico City |  Mexico | ||
| VidCon 2022 | June 22–25, 2022 | Anaheim Convention Center | United States | 50,000 | [23] | |
| VidCon Mexico 2022 | September 23-25, 2022 | Citibanamex Center | Mexico City | Mexico | ||
| VidCon Anaheim 2023 | June 21–24, 2023 | Anaheim Convention Center | United States | 55,000 | [24] | |
| VidCon Anaheim 2024 | June 26–29, 2024 | Anaheim Convention Center | United States | 55,000 | [25] | |
| VidCon Mexico 2024 | August 9–11, 2024 | Citibanamex Center | Mexico City | Mexico | ||
| Convention | Country | Location(s) | Venue | Inaugural event | Most recent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VidCon London | April 8–9, 2017 | February 20–23, 2020 | ||||
| VidCon Australia | Australia | Melbourne | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | September 9–10, 2017 | September 19–22, 2019 | |
| VidCon Asia | Singapore | Singapore | Raffles City Convention Centre | December 3–4, 2019 | November 25, 2021 | |
| VidCon Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre | December 3–6, 2021 | — | |
| VidCon Mexico | Mexico | Mexico City | Citibanamex Center | May 6–9, 2021 |