My Thoughts on Bronycon 2019

For those that don’t know, last year will be the last Bronycon, ever. The factors are pretty predictable, lower attendance, money, lives of the heads of the con, and they felt like it was just their time. So does this mean the fandom is dying? Well in my opinion yes and no.

I’ve noticed this trend as of late and this was talked about during a Mystreamy Brony theater 4000 stream (Sundays at 8pm EST/ 7 CST) and a very good point was made. While yes, people have lost interest in MLP, myself included. It has also been folding into nerd culture as a whole and has pretty much lost that niche status.

With Nightmare Nights, Equestria LA, and now Bronycon coming to an end. It does mean we are seeing a change. That change while doesn’t really affect the community, it affects the cons based on it. While I never had the chance to go to Bronycon and won’t after next year. Other doors have opened for me the more I got back into things like anime, video games, Super Sentai, D&D, Pokemon, and Nostalgia that allow me to try new conventions and new experiences and opportunities to grow as a person.

So, is the fandom dying? Yes, but not in the way people would assume. It’s changing, it’s folding into the rest of the culture of nerd. Pony cons are dying out. But that’s economics and the largest casualty of this change. I don’t think they’ll end, but they will be far and few in the long run. But it isn’t dying either. People can still be fans of the show and not call themselves Bronies. Most just aren’t as enthusiastic as they used to be when the series and cons first popped up. The fandom is more coming off of a high. It’s mellowing out as this change happens.

However, they have said in some shape or form Bronycon may come back, just not under Bronycon. As of right now there are no plans to do another con. So this is a goodbye to Bronycon. The latest casualty in the change of the fandom.