KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2021 Kansas City Auto Show has been canceled.
The Automobile Dealers Association of Kansas City made the announcement Friday morning.
The show is typically held at Bartle Hall, but the Auto Show told 41 Action News earlier this yearthey were considering a move to the Kansas Speedway in mid-June.
At that time, they said the decision to move it to Kansas was due in part to the pandemic and the unlikeliness of being able to hold their event indoors, but also because they were looking to reinvent the Auto Show at an outdoor location.
But now, they say due to COVID-19, several automakers pulled out of the show, leading them to cancel it entirely.
“Because of ongoing concerns of the pandemic, several automakers have chosen to sit out the 2021 auto show season. As a result, we did not want to disappoint attendees who would expect to see all of the cars, in one place, at one time. We are looking forward to next year when the Auto Show will return to inform, educate and entertain automotive consumers across the entire metro area,” said ADAKC CEO and Auto show producer, Larry Carl.
In order to move the show to Kansas, Senate bill 33 had to be passed.
Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill into law on March 11. It goes into effect on July 1. The new law allows vehicle dealers to participate in display shows like the Kansas City Auto Show.
41 Action News reached out to a spokesperson representing ADAKC to see if the law going into effect after the show's mid-June date also impacted the cancellation of the show. The spokesperson reiterated that the cancellation is due to manufacturers pulling out of the show.
Planning for the 2022 Auto Show is now underway.
