Google Cancels I/O 2020 Event Over Coronavirus Fears–Is Apple’s WWDC Next?

Google’s I/O developer conference is its biggest event of the year—and it has just been cancelled over fears regarding the spread of coronavirus.

The event was slated to be held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, from May 12-14, 2020. Google says it is exploring other ways to connect with its developers, which may include an online streamed event.

Here’s what the Google I/O website reads:

Due to concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities, we have decided to cancel the physical Google I/O event at Shoreline Amphitheatre.

All guests who have purchased tickets to I/O 2020 will receive a full refund by March 13, 2020. If you don’t see the credit on your statement by then, please reach out to io@google.com. Guests who have registered for I/O 2020 will not need to enter next year’s drawing and will be automatically granted the option of purchasing an I/O 2021 ticket.

Over the coming weeks, we will explore other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with our developer community.

After the Game Developers Conference was cancelled over coronavirus fears as well, Google’s upcoming Games Developer Summit moved to become an online event, so to see Google I/O get cancelled may not have come as a surprise to many.

Facebook has already cancelled its F8 conference and now all eyes are on Apple’s WWDC event, expected sometime in June, to see if it will be cancelled. Last year, WWDC 2019 took place on June 3, while it sent out invites to the media on May 22, 2019. If WWDC is going to be cancelled, expect some sort of announcement soon, especially if the spread of coronavirus worsens globally.