2021 Chicago Auto Show Postponed Due To COVID-19 Pandemic

The organizers for the 2021 Chicago Auto Show have been forced to postpone the event due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show was scheduled to take place from February 13^th to February 21^st, 2021. However with COVID-19 cases on the rise in Illinois, organizers saw the February show as a lofty goal and have now decided to postpone the event. The show’s website indicates it will now be held in Spring 2021, although this date could also be subject to change due to the ongoing pandemic.

“At this point, with the recent increase in [COVID-19] cases, it doesn’t look like February is realistic,” Mark Bilek, senior director of communications and technology for the Chicago Auto Show, told Automotive News this week. “So we wanted to make sure that we let people know that we’re still very excited about trying to have a show in spring of 2021, at some point, be it in March, April or May.”

Bilek is hoping that the inevitable arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine will enable his team to host a safe and entertaining event this spring.

“We’re still hopeful that we can pull something off in the spring,” he explained. “Hopefully that vaccine gets out there and people get healthy and we can have a show.”

The Los Angeles, New York and Detroit auto shows have also been moved from their usual dates for 2021. The L.A. show will go forth in May, while New York will be held in August Detroit will be held in September. All three of these events are also likely subject to cancellation depending on how the pandemic advances throughout 2021.

With auto shows off the calendar for 2020, many automakers were forced to resort to digital debuts for their new vehicles. General Motors, for example, unveiled the Cadillac Lyriq crossover and GMC Hummer EV pickup truck with digital debut events.

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