No surprises here: IFA 2021 has been canceled

IFA has generally joined Mobile World Congress (MWC) and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as the three main tech expos for the year. CES was held virtually this year, but we saw both MWC and IFA attempting to go back to a real-world affair.

Now, the team behind IFA has announced that the 2021 edition of the Berlin expo — scheduled for September — has been canceled. The team cited new COVID-19 variants and “continued uncertainties” about the speed of global vaccination programs as reasons for the cancellation.

The organizers also noted that part of the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds (which hosts IFA) continue to be used as a vaccination center and emergency hospital. It adds that both facilities are likely to be running for longer than expected. The team adds that they’re now looking at a full-scale live event for next year.

This isn’t the only tech expo facing major setbacks, as MWC 2021 is facing troubles of its own. The event was also being planned as a physical event from June 28 to July 1, but a variety of big-name companies have pulled out of coming to Barcelona.

Companies that have decided against physically attending include Qualcomm, Samsung, Lenovo, and Sony. Of course, MWC 2020’s cancellation was also preceded by a variety of big names announcing their withdrawal. So don’t be surprised if the 2021 running is scaled down to a digital-only event.