Worldcon Bid Lineup Changes

Bidding to host the World Science Fiction Convention is a process which takes years of effort, which makes it unavoidable that plans will change and bids will occasionally be abandoned altogether. The current pandemic has helped to accelerate the churn. After multiple recent changes, this is how the lineup looks:

The only bid for 2024 remains Glasgow, UK, although recent moves toward another independence referendum have some asking whether it will still be in the UK by then. The current proposed date for the referendum is October 19, 2023 (subject to approval by the UK’s top court), making it unlikely that Scotland would be able to disentangle itself by the planned Worldcon in August 2024 even if the referendum is held and passes.

The only currently active bid for 2025 is Seattle, Washington, USA. A competing bid for Brisbane, Australia went silent last year and is widely believed to be aiming at 2028 now, though its website and Twitter feed still say 2025.

For 2026, a bid for Nice, France has dropped out and one for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has retooled to bid for Cairo, Egypt instead (no website or social media available yet). It has now been joined by a new bid for Los Angeles, California, USA.

The lone contender for 2027 at this time is Tel Aviv, Israel.

In 2028, the rumored bid for Brisbane is joined by a confirmed one for Kampala, Uganda. If successful, it would mark the first Worldcon in sub-Saharan Africa­ in fact, if not for the sudden switch from Jeddah to Cairo for 2026, it would have been the first announced bid for a Worldcon anywhere in Africa.

2029 is occupied only by a marker for a return to Dublin, Ireland, the site of the 2019 Worldcon.