Nuremberg 2028 Withdrawal: A Shift in the Landscape of Worldcon Site Selection

The race to host the 2028 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) has seen a dramatic contraction. In a formal announcement issued this week, the Nuremberg 2028 bid committee—led by Chair Florian Bailey and Vice-Chair Ruben Wickenhäuser—confirmed they are officially withdrawing their candidacy. This decision, finalized during a meeting of the organization’s Crew-Committee Assembly, marks the end of an ambitious effort to bring the world’s premier speculative fiction event to Germany.

With the withdrawal of Nuremberg, following the earlier departure of the Kigali, Rwanda bid, the field for the 2028 Worldcon has narrowed significantly. The Brisbane, Australia bid now stands as the sole remaining contender for the 2028 site selection vote, which is scheduled to take place at LAcon V in 2026.

The Official Stance: A Calculated Retreat

In a poignant statement released on the official Nuremberg 2028 website, the committee expressed both disappointment and pragmatism regarding their decision. "We are standing down," the statement began, citing a complex tapestry of "personal, organisational, and timing reasons" that ultimately rendered a 2028 bid untenable.

The committee acknowledged the significant goodwill they had garnered since their public introduction at Smofcon last November. "Since our introduction at Smofcon… we have received wonderful support from volunteers, artists, experienced conrunners, and communities across Central Europe," the statement read. Despite this external validation, the internal assessment was sobering.

"As site selection begins, we have to be honest: we are not at the point where we would need to be in order to ask the community to vote for us and be ready to carry the responsibility of winning," the committee admitted. The leadership emphasized that their vision was never merely to secure a victory, but to curate a Worldcon that embodied transparency, ambition, and a commitment to learning from the diverse traditions of the international fan community. By their own metrics, the infrastructure and maturity of the bid had not yet reached the threshold required to deliver on that high-minded promise.

Chronology of a Bid: From Inspiration to Withdrawal

The journey of the Nuremberg 2028 bid was marked by rapid mobilization and a strong focus on community building.

November 2023: The Nuremberg bid officially announced its intentions at Smofcon, the annual convention for science fiction convention organizers. The announcement was met with enthusiasm from the European fandom, which has long sought a more central anchor for international science fiction gatherings.
Early 2024: The committee focused on outreach, engaging with volunteers and establishing a digital presence. They emphasized a "Central European" identity, aiming to bridge the gap between long-standing Western European fan traditions and the burgeoning interest in speculative fiction across the continent.
Mid-2024: As the formal site selection cycle approached, the committee began internal audits of their operational readiness. The challenge of organizing a Worldcon—a logistical feat that requires massive capital, volunteer coordination, and complex legal framework management—began to weigh heavily on the team.
The Final Decision: Following a critical Crew-Committee Assembly, the leadership reached the conclusion that the gap between their current status and the required level of professional execution for 2028 was too great to bridge within the remaining timeframe.

Supporting Data: The Anatomy of a Worldcon Bid

To understand the weight of the Nuremberg committee’s decision, one must consider the sheer scale of a Worldcon. Hosting a Worldcon is not merely a matter of securing a venue; it is an exercise in complex event management, international diplomacy, and financial risk mitigation.

Logistical Requirements

A successful Worldcon requires:

Venue Capacity: A convention center capable of housing thousands of attendees, with dedicated space for programming tracks, art shows, dealer rooms, and the Hugo Awards ceremony.
Financial Stability: A budget running into the millions of dollars, secured through memberships, sponsorships, and pre-convention fundraising.
Volunteer Infrastructure: A dedicated workforce of hundreds, often spanning multiple years of planning, to manage registration, programming, hospitality, and security.

The Nuremberg committee’s admission that they were not "ready to carry the responsibility of winning" highlights a growing tension within the fandom: the increasing professionalization of Worldcons versus the volunteer-led spirit that has traditionally defined the event. As conventions grow in size and complexity, the "learning curve" for new bids becomes steeper, often requiring institutional knowledge that takes years to cultivate.

Implications for the Future of Worldcon

The departure of Nuremberg and Kigali from the 2028 race leaves the community with significant questions regarding the geographic diversity of future Worldcons.

The Brisbane Candidacy

With Brisbane as the sole remaining bidder, the 2028 site selection vote will effectively become a referendum on the Australian bid. While a single-bid election is not unprecedented in Worldcon history, it shifts the nature of the process from a competitive choice between regional identities to a confirmation process. The community will now focus its scrutiny on the Brisbane team’s ability to deliver a world-class experience, knowing that there is no "Plan B" waiting in the wings.

The European Fandom Landscape

The Nuremberg committee has left the door open for future attempts. "We are considering whether to bid again for a later year," they stated, noting that they hope to leverage the momentum, relationships, and conceptual frameworks developed during this cycle. The dream of a Central European Worldcon remains a potent goal for many fans, and the Nuremberg team’s willingness to step back rather than push forward with an inferior product demonstrates a level of maturity that may well serve them in future iterations.

The Sustainability of Bidding

The withdrawal also serves as a warning for the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). If the requirements to host a Worldcon become so onerous that viable, enthusiastic, and well-intentioned groups are forced to withdraw due to organizational exhaustion, the global footprint of the convention may begin to shrink. The conversation regarding how Worldcon can better support nascent bids—perhaps through mentorship programs, shared resource pools, or more flexible scheduling—is likely to gain traction in the coming years.

Conclusion: A Graceful Exit

The Nuremberg 2028 committee has set a standard for transparency in what is often a opaque, high-stakes political process. By prioritizing the health of the community and the quality of the potential event over the desire for prestige, they have protected their reputation and maintained the trust of their supporters.

As the fandom turns its attention toward LAcon V and the future of the 2028 site, the legacy of the Nuremberg bid will not be its failure to launch, but its commitment to the principle that a Worldcon is not just an event, but a responsibility. Whether this leads to a future German bid or simply a stronger, more connected Central European fan base, the lessons of the past months will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of Worldcon for years to come.

For now, the focus shifts to the southern hemisphere, as the community evaluates the promise of Brisbane and the ongoing evolution of the international science fiction landscape.