Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus & More Forced To Cancel Shows Due To Coronavirus: What You Need To Know
With cities going under lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, artists have been forced to cancel shows. Now, Taylor Swift is the latest music act to postpone her tour.
UPDATE 4/17/20: “Fighting COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge for our global community and the safety and wellbeing of fans should always be the top priority,” Taylor Swift said at the start of her Apr. 17 statement. The “You Need To Calm Down” singer couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer. “The decision has been made to cancel all Taylor Swift live appearances and performances this year. The U.S. and Brazil shows will be rescheduled to take place in 2021, with dates to be announced later this year. Tickets held for each of those shows will transfer to a new show date without action on part of the ticket holder.”
“I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision,” she tweeted. “Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us.”
I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us. pic.twitter.com/qeiMk2Tgon
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 17, 2020
UPDATE 4/1/20: Sadly, this isn’t an April Fools’ Joke. Justin Bieber has also postponed his highly-anticipated return to the stage. The “Yummy” singer put his “Changes” tour on hold on Wednesday (April 1.) He was supposed to kick off his 45-date tour on May 14 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, but that’s not happening
“In light of the current public health crisis, and with the deepest concern for all those being affected, Justin Bieber will be postponing all currently scheduled 2020 dates for The Changes Tour. While Justin – along with his band, dancers and crew – has been hard at work preparing an amazing show, he has always put the health and well-being of his fans first and foremost. Justin is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get back out on the road and perform in a space that is safe for everyone. He asks that his fans hold on to their tickets, as they will be honored as soon as the dates are rescheduled. Information on rescheduled dates will be forthcoming soon,” Justin’s team said in a statement.
UPDATE 3/18/20, 11:50am ET: the annual Glastonbury Music Festival, held in the UK, has now been canceled. The fest was supposed to take place on June 24 and 25, 2020. This year’s headliners included Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, and Kendrick Lamar. Diana Ross, Fatboy Slim, Dua Lipa, Primal Scream, and the Manic Street Preachers were also slated to perform. Festival founder Michael Eavis and daughter Emily Eavis said in a statement, “Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week — and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty, this is now our only viable option.”
“We very much hope that the situation in the U.K. will have improved enormously by the end of June. But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions needed to welcome more than 200,000 people to a temporary city in these fields.”
UPDATE 3/13/20, 8:15pm ET: Miranda Lambert confirmed her Mar. 24 & 26 Australian dates have been postponed. “I’m so sad that I won’t be able to play some country music for ya’ll!” she posted on Instagram. The Jonas Brothers have also cancelled their Las Vegas residency from April 1 – 18 at Park MGM. “We love you guys and we are praying for everyone’s safety and wellness. We’ll see you soon,” they wrote in a statement.
UPDATE, 3/13/20, 5:17pm ET: Celine Dion has postponed her March 24 through April 27 Courage tour dates, according to a statement on her Twitter. She had initially postponed two shows while recuperating from the “common cold.”
UPDATE, 3/13/20, 9:51am ET: As COVID-19 fears grow, a significant number of artists have canceled or postponed their tours and concerts. Michael Bublé is rescheduling his March 17 through April 12 tour dates; all tickets will be honored for the new dates. “I was looking forward to getting back on the road but the safety of my fans and my touring family of course take priority under the current circumstances. We will be coming back soon with new dates and everyone will be safe to enjoy a great night out. Stay well everyone,” Michael wrote in a statement.
Kenny Chesney has postponed all Chillaxification tour dates through May 28. “You can’t take risks without really understanding the consequences,” the country star said in a statement. “In times of uncertainty, I won’t take chances with those I love. I can’t imagine, as much as we love being out there playing for the fans, being able to do that through the worry our nation is experiencing. So, while we wait to see how this terrible virus is going to impact our country, I think it’s only fair to move these first several dates now. We are figuring some of this out as we go, but I know people buy airline tickets, book hotel rooms – and I wanted to try to give everyone as much time to sort that out as possible.” Tickets will be honored for the new dates, and those who can’t attend will get full refunds..
After Disneyland was shut down, the California Department of Public Health also closed shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, through March 31. That includes all Los Angeles Philharmonic Concerts. There are a few options in place: exchange tickets for any other date; receive a refund; donate tickets for a tax deduction; exchange tickets for a credit to your account. Cher is postponing her Here We Go Again tour, the pop icon said in a statement. “I’m heartbroken, but the health of my fans and my touring family comes first. The shows have been really special but, nothing is more important than everybody’s safety. I’m excited to see everyone when we’re back out on the road,” she said. Fans can either keep their tickets, which will be honored for another date, or get refunds.
The five remaining dates of Blake Shelton‘s Friends and Heroes tour are postponed, and will be honored for rescheduled spring 2021 dates. Refunds are also available.
UPDATE, 3/12/20, 1:00pm ET: Dan + Shay announced in a statement that they will be postponing their THE (ARENA) TOUR. “These shows mean the world to us, and it was important that they be postponed and not canceled, but more than the shows, our fans mean the world to us, and protecting their safety is the number one priority. We want the shows to be memorable, and not experienced with fear. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. It is a strange, strange time for all of us, but we felt this was the right thing to do. Previously purchased tickets will be honored at all rescheduled dates. We hope everyone can make it. Keep an eye on venue websites for further information and updates. Stay safe out there.”
ORIGINAL: As concerns about the COVID-19 virus continue to grow, some of the world’s biggest musical artists are canceling their upcoming concerts out of caution. A bushfire benefit concert in Australia, set to include performances from Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X, is no longer happening, according to World Tour Melbourne. Miley explained on Twitter that she wouldn’t be traveling to Australia for the March 13 show on recommendation from the CDC. “I am so disappointed to not be there, but I have to do what is right to protect the health and safety of my band and crew. I will still be making a donation to help the victims of the Australian bushfire. I’m sorry to miss everyone in Australia, but I will be back soon.” All tickets will be refunded.
It’s not just in Australia, either. Madonna‘s website now states that her March 10 and 11 concerts in Paris are off after France prohibited all events with an audience attendance of over 1000. Fans can get their tickets fully refunded at point of purchase. BTS was set to kick off their highly-anticipated Map of the Soul world tour in April, in Seoul, South Korea, but it looks like ARMYs will have to wait. There are currently a confirmed 7513 coronavirus cases in the nation, and 58 deaths. “The current global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has made it impossible at this time to predict the scale of the outbreak during the dates of the concert in April, alongside increasing uncertainty about the cross-border movement of concert staff and equipment,” read a statement from the K-pop band, according to our sister site Variety. It’s unclear if tickets will be refunded, or when the shows will be rescheduled.
Avril Lavigne has canceled her March shows in Italy and France due to their restrictions about public gatherings during the pandemic, telling her fans, “I am so disappointed about [it]. Wishing you all continued good health and safety. Please contact your point of purchase to receive a refund.” Ciara, who is heavily pregnant, rescheduled a planned USO performance at Fort Hood, Texas under the recommendation of her doctors, she announced on Facebook. “I urge everyone to be diligent in taking steps to stay healthy and safe!” she wrote.
The cancellations continue! Mariah Carey has rescheduled a planned show in Hawaii to November due to “evolving international travel restrictions,” but promised her fans something awesome in return: she’s be performing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the first time ever in Hawaii at the show. Green Day has also made the “difficult decision” to postpone upcoming concerts in Asia and advised their fans to “hold on to your tickets” for when the new dates are revealed. Note that these are not dates for Hella Mega, their upcoming tour with Weezer and Fall Out Boy — that begins in June.
Pearl Jam, legends of the Seattle grunge scene, have postponed the first leg of their tour, which was supposed to kick off on March 18 in Ontario, Canada. Washington state, including Seattle, has been hit hard by the coronavirus, with 162 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 23 deaths. “As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate,” the band said in a statement. “We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level.”
They also condemned President Donald Trump for his inaction on addressing the coronavirus pandemic and downplaying the risk. “It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work,” the band said. “Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.” SXSW in Austin, Texas has also been cancelled. Fans fear that Stagecoach and Coachella could be next.
COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, has infected 117,973 people worldwide. The deadly virus originated in Wuhan, China, but has quickly spread to nearly every continent. At this time, 4264 people have died after contracting the virus; 65,040 patients have recovered. The virus typically starts off with flu-like symptoms, such as a fever and/or dry cough, according to the CDC. After a week, it typically progresses to shortness of breath and other respiratory issues, with about 20% of patients requiring hospitalization. If you think you have COVID-19, the CDC is recommending self-quarantining at home for 14 days.