Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease at the end of 2019, more than 80,000 people have contracted the disease, resulting in more than 2,700 deaths according to the World Health Organization. As the disease continues to spread, live event organizers have been canceling or postponing large gatherings from technology conferences to major concerts.
With the disease reaching more than 40 countries, Billboard has compiled an ongoing list of major concerts and events that have been postponed or canceled due to the outbreak.
Cancellations Announced in March
March 13 – Kelly Clarkson was scheduled to kick off her 2020 Las Vegas residency at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood on April 1, but as the coronavirus continues to spread, the songstress has postponed her shows to July.
Texas Music Revolution, a two-day concert scheduled for March 20 and 21 in Plano, Texas, has been postponed.
The Jonas Brothers canceled their April 1 – 18 Las Vegas residency at Park MGM. “We love you guys and we are praying for everyone’s safety and wellness. We’ll see you soon,” they captioned the statement.
The Grand Ole Opry radio show will pause performances that include a live audience through April 4. “The Grand Ole Opry stands by the motto of the Circle can’t be broken,” the announcement read. The Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry Show will return to its original format as a live radio broadcast without a live audience.
Sturgill Simpson announced that he is rescheduling a number of March and April dates for his A Good Look’n Tour. However, the Hampton, Virgina; Toronto, Ontario; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Minneapolis and Chicago shows are cancelled “due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts.”
Trevor Noah postponed his tour dates for the next month. “Looking forward to seeing you all on a happier and healthier note!” he wrote.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced that the museum, Hatch Show Print, Historic RCA Studio B and the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will close to the public for the rest of March.
National Sawdust has suspended all programming beginning March 13 through the end of April.
OG shock rocker Alice Cooper postponed his planned spring 2020 headlining North American tour that was slated to run from March 31-April 22; the tour will be rescheduled for the fall with an itinerary announced soon.
Pop punkers The Dollyrots postpone their spring tour, assuring fans they’ll be back on the road as soon as possible. “Anyone who’s been to one of our shows knows that we make every effort to meet our fans after the set, to hang out, to take silly selfies and give sweaty hugs,” they wrote. “We consider tons of y’all friends and that connection makes touring the best part of being in a band. So the last thing we’d want is to push forward with these dates and find out someone contracted this at one of our shows, got it from one of us, or inadvertently passed it on to us. Also, the fact we tour with our kids poses a whole extra level of concern, we need to protect them from exposure and possibly becoming carriers themselves.” Click here to see affected dates.
J. Cole‘s Dreamville Festival, initially slated for April 4 in Raleigh, NC, has rescheduled its second annual event for Aug. 29.
Thom Yorke postponed the North American leg of his Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes Tour. He has not announced reschedule dates, but noted they would be this year.
Third Eye Blind rescheduled the second half of their tour in support of new album Screamer, and also shared the new dates, which resume May 31 in Los Angeles.
David Archuleta postponed his OK, All Right 2020 Tour, but hopes to reschedule for later in the year. ” You are all like family to me and so your health and safety are amongst the top priorities for me,” he wrote on Instagram.
The Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall orchestras canceled all rehearsals and performances through March 31.
Celine Dion postponed the March and April dates of her Courage World Tour in North America. New dates are yet to be announced.
Wilco postpone upcoming dates in Calgary, Missoula, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Las Vegas and California. The band said they are making every effort to reschedule the dates for later in the year.
Australia’s government applies a ban to public gatherings of 500 or more people, with effect from Monday, March 16. The decision triggers a string of cancelations and postponements. The CMC Rocks QLD festival is scrapped. Frontier Touring and Chugg Entertainment list at least 17 shows which now won’t go ahead as planned.
Following the abrupt cancellation of the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, a special one-off concert headlined by Robbie Williams is scrapped.
The hard rock and heavy metal Download Festival was due to take place next week in Melbourne (March 20) and Sydney (March 21). However, when My Chemical Romance canceled due to the “current global situation,” Live Nation called off the 2020 shows.
March 12 – Chris Stapleton reschedules a series of All-American Road Show dates in March, including Thursday’s (March 12) gig at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, as well as Saturday’s (March 14) gig at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with opener Willie Nelson and March 20 and 21 gigs in Biloxi and Birmingham. “The health and well-being of our families & communities is our number one priority,” Stapleton tweeted.
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones are rescheduling the March and April dates on their 30th anniversary tour. At press time the group was slated to hit the road again beginning May 23.
Tool postpone March 16 show in Salt Lake City, but say their March 14 show at the Ford Idaho Center in Boise is “going on as planned.” In a statement, the group explained, “We are continuing to monitor the evolving situation with Coronavirus and are in continual conversation with local promoters and venues. The health of our fans, bandmates, crew members and all of those that work in and around the venues is what we are focused on… As for the recently announced North American Spring tour, we are taking a day-to-day approach so please continue to monitor our website and social media channels for updates.”
Tones and I announced that she was cutting short her European tour. “It is with great regret that I must cut short the rest of my first tour over here, as the majority of the remaining shows have already been cancelled due to government policy and I do not want to subjugate anyone to making a choice between coming to see me and their health,” she explained on Facebook.
Promoter Goldenvoice is closing some of its venues through March 31 after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued capacity limits at gatherings.
Lionel Richie postpones his Friday (March 13) and Saturday (March 14) Las Vegas shows at the Encore Theater.
Ms. Lauryn Hill postpones Thursday night’s (March 12) show in Cleveland and Saturday’s (March 14) gig in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, due to crowd bans. The Cleveland show has been moved to Sept. 9 and a new date will be announced for the Upper Darby show at a later date.
Decibel Magazine tour featuring extreme metal bands Mayhem, Abbath, Gatecreeper and Idle Hands, slated to kick off on Friday (March 13), has been canceled.
Billie Eilish announced that her Where Do We Go? tour dates for the rest of the month have been postponed. “I’m so sad to do this but we need to postpone these dates to keep everyone safe. We’ll let you know when they can be rescheduled. Please keep yourselves healthy. I love you,” she wrote.
Taylor Swift was scheduled to headline Capital One’s JamFest in Atlanta on April 5, as part of the 2020 NCAA March Madness Music Festival. The event has been canceled, following news that the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournament is also not happening.
Nonprofit Christopher Street West announced on Thursday (March 12) that all events related to this year’s LA Pride have been postponed.
Amoeba Music canceled all in-store performances for the rest of March.
The Grammy Museum made the decision to close through March 31, 2020, which includes all Public Programs, on-site Education Programs and guided tours.
Harlem’s Apollo Theater is canceling all public programs such as WOW – Women of the World Festival, Amateur Night at the Apollo, School Day Live, Historic Tours, Live Wire, Apollo Comedy Club,and Apollo Music Café events through April 4. Additionally, the Apollo Theater and African Film Festival’s Africa Now! concert featuring Oumou Sangaré on Saturday, April 4 has been postponed until the fall.
Reba McEntire shifted her spring tour to a summer kickoff, and will now begin on July 9 in Huntsville, Alabama. “For the safety of everyone, we have decided to postpone our new arena tour until July,” she said. “All tickets will be honored for the new dates. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of you and your loved ones. We’ll get through this together.”
Pussy Riot postponed their Santa Ana tour stop Thursday evening until the fall. “dear all, due to safety & health reasons the show in SANTA ANA today is not happening, it’s postponed and will happen in the fall, all tix will be valid,” the punk bank tweeted. “stay tuned for more news about the tour. stay safe!”
STYX is rescheduling concerts from March 13 to March 28.
The Allman Betts Band canceled the rest of their scheduled shows in March. “We are looking at options to reschedule dates and appreciate your patience while determining next steps. As soon as we have additional info to share, we will. Stay safe and follow the guidelines in your community — we all need to do our part to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and look out for each other,” the band wrote in a statement.
Hamilton performances at the Hollywood Pantages Theater for the remainder of March have been suspended by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Fans can still purchase tickets for future dates during the musical’s scheduled run until Nov. 22.
Blake Shelton postponed the final two weekends of his Friends and Heroes Tour 2020 until later unknown dates in spring 2021. “Omaha, I’m here in your city with my friends and heroes and am ready to play a show for you, but for all the right reasons — chiefly everyone’s safety and well-being — we have to reschedule tonight and the rest of the tour,” said Shelton in a press release on the night of his Omaha tour stop. “Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can bet we’ll see you back here soon!”
The C2C: Country to Country music festival in London, Dublin and Glasgow has been postponed to later unknown dates. Headliners Eric Church, Luke Combs and Darius Rucker were set to kick off the festivities Friday (March 13). “Thank you all for your understanding and patience at this very difficult time. C2C and its organizers apologize wholeheartedly for the time to work through the issues to get this statement out,” the C2C festival organizers said in the statement. Old Dominion had pulled out of the festival last week citing concerns.
Quavo announced on Instagram that he’s canceling the third annual celebrity flag football game Huncho Day on the Nawf originally set for April 5, 2020. “We are disappointed, but feel strongly about doing our part to keep people safe and this virus contained. Thanks for your support and understanding,” the rapper’s letter read. “Please make sure you’re taking the necessary steps to take care of yourself and your family.”
Broadway officially sets its closure at 5 p.m. ET Thursday night until April 12 at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nearly immediate command. “Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League, said in a press release.
AEG joined competitor Live Nation in recommending concerts be postponed through the end of the month. Earlier Thursday (March 12), Live Nation officials told employees they were pausing arena tours through the end of the month.
Michael Bublé postponed the remaining arena shows in March and April to later unknown 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,” Bublé said in a release. His tour dates beginning May 2 and on will continue as scheduled.
Kenny Chesney announced that he’s postponing the first 11 shows of his Chillaxification tour out of an abundance of caution. “You can’t take risks without really understanding the consequences,” he 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.”
Cher postponed the remainder of her ABBA-inspired Here We Go Again Tour with new dates from September to December. “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,” the singer said in a press statement.
All Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts held at Walt Disney Concert Hall have been canceled until March 31. “The California Department of Public Health issued a mandate that all public gatherings, including concerts and presentations at Walt Disney Concert Hall, should be canceled through March 31, 2020 to protect public health and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19,” read an official statement on the orchestra’s website.
The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Public Hall in Cleveland honoring Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, T-Rex, Notorious B.I.G. and Whitney Houston has been postponed until a later date.
Organizers of Lollapalooza Argentina have officially announced that the festival will be postponed until the second half of the year.
Maluma has postponed the European leg of his 11:11 World Tour.
Tove Lo has rescheduled the remaining dates on her European tour to September. “I have been looking forward to these shows for so long, but it has become unsafe and impossible for all of us to continue as planned,” she tweeted.
Dan + Shay have postponed their spring tour — dates now start in July. “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,” the band said in a statement.
All events at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the month of March have been canceled. “With the health and safety of its public, artists, and staff as its foremost priority, Carnegie Hall today announced that it will be closed for all public events and programming through the end of March, effective midnight tonight, in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19),” read an official statement on the venue’s site.
Pixies scrapped the final five dates of their Australian tour, citing “caution for current public health concerns.”
The Who postponed their UK/Ireland tour, which was slated to kick off on Monday (March 16) in Manchester at the Manchester Arena. “The fans’ safety is paramount and given the developing Coronavirus situation, the band felt that they had no option but to postpone the shows,” read a statement that promised the dates will be rescheduled for later in the year. Singer Roger Daltrey assured fans that the gigs will “definitely happen and it may be the last time we do a tour of this type, so keep those tickets, as the shows will be fantastic,” with guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend adding, ”[the band] haven’t reached this decision easily, but given the concerns about public gatherings, we couldn’t go ahead… if one fan caught Coronavirus at a WHO concert it would be one too many.” The pushed off shows include a Teenage Cancer Trust show at Royal Albert Hall on March 28.
March 11 – Dark Mofo, a festival in Australia’s southernmost state, has been canceled due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. Bon Iver was scheduled to perform at the June fest.
Italian orchestral death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse postponed their North American tour — which was slated to feature their first accompaniment by a string quartet — due to travel restrictions tied to the coronavirus. The shows will take place at a later, as-yet-unspecified, date. “It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the postponement of our upcoming tour in North America with the Veleno String Quartet and The Agonist,” the band wrote to fans. “We’re absolutely devastated about the delay, but we’re already working to reschedule the tour for late Summer/early Fall (exact dates coming soon). We know that there are so many people waiting for us in the US and Canada and we can’t wait to see you.”
Israeli pop band Lola Marsh rescheduled a string of European dates for June and September. “We are sad as this tour was a real dream for us, but looking forward to seeing everyone at the new shows! Wishing health and safety to all,” they wrote in an Instagram post with the new dates.
K-pop group Stray Kids will not be touring Europe this spring after all. The boy band’s planned gigs in Madrid, Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Moscow have been put on ice, as well as their show at London’s Wembley Arena on May 17 on their District 9: Unlock tour. “We ask for your understanding as this decision has been made in consideration for the safety of the artists and audience,” they wrote.
Following an emergency health declaration from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, all remaining events for RodeoHouston have been cancelled. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs from March 3-22. Kane Brown was scheduled to perform March 11, with additional country sets by Dierks Bentley on March 15 and Keith Urban on March 16.
The latest festival to cancel in the wake of the virus — which has spread to 38 states and the District of Columbia — is Knoxville, Tennessee’s Big Ears Festival, which was slated to take place from march 26-39. “This has been a tough decision. Not only is the principle that ‘the show must go on’ woven into our DNA, but the impact of this cancellation on the community that makes Big Ears possible — the artists, the festival attendees, our staff and production teams, and the Knoxville community with all of its businesses and workers — cannot be overstated,” read a statement. Refunds will be offered to ticketholders for the event slated to feature sets from Devendra Banhart, Joe Henry, Kronos Quartet, Patti Smith and Thundercat, among others.
The MUSEXPO Creative Summit 2020 set for March 22-25 in California was postponed due to following the announcement by The World Health Organization that the coronavirus (COVID-19) is now officially a pandemic. AllAccess.com’s Worldwide Radio Summit 2020 is also said to be postponing in the same announcement.
The GLAAD Media Awards were set to take place in New York on March 19, but have been cancelled in the interest of public safety over the spread of the coronavirus. Rich Ferraro, GLAAD’s chief communications officer and an executive producer of the GLAAD Media Awards, says, “we will be in touch with nominees shortly with plans for how award categories scheduled for the New York show will be announced.”
Glass Animals canceled their March 14 show at Neumos, Seattle, following Washington governor Jay Inslee’s temporary ban on group events with more than 250 people.
Papa Roach canceled shows in Paris, Tilburg, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Copenhagen due to government restrictions on public gatherings. At press time the dates have not yet been rescheduled.
Pearl Jam hosted a fan FAQ on their tour postponement, explaining, “We have been through a lot as a band over the past 30 years and we did not make this decision lightly. Our team worked tirelessly to see if we could keep the tour going. It became clear by Monday afternoon that we would not be able to – in good conscience – head out on the road. Even though our gear was already en route and our crew was on the ground for rehearsals, we made the difficult decision to postpone. We wanted you all to know as soon as we knew so you could make your own plans.” The band also explained if original tickets will be honored, whether anyone in the band is infected (they’re not) and if it will affect the March 27 Gigatonalbum release date (it won’t).
Iconic D.C. rock venue 9:30 Club has joined Lincoln Theater, the Anthem and other Washington venues in canceling shows until at least March 31 after the city’s health department recommends calling off gatherings of 1,000 people or more.
Reunited prog rockers Yes canceled shows in Florida and their Cruise to the Edgeappearance. “Although YES performs with the spirit that ‘the show must go on,’ we’ve reached the point where various factors require us to cancel our forthcoming U.S. dates and cancel our appearances on the 7th ‘Cruise To The Edge,'” wrote guitarist Steve Howe of the event slated to feature Marillion, Saga, Kings X, Gong and others. “We are full of regret, as we’ve been preparing for these shows with maximum excitement. Running a relatively large show aided by our 12-piece crew and full production requires insurance coverage, which is currently unavailable to us for a variety of reasons beyond our control.” Cruise to the Edge is still slated to leave the port of Miami on March 27 without Yes.
Metal band Machine Head postponed the second European leg of their 25th anniversary tour, which was scheduled to take off in Zaragoza, Spain, on April 19. “It is with heavy heart that we must announce the postponement of our upcoming EU/UK tour in support of the 25th anniversary of Burn My Eyes,” they wrote. “As residents of the Bay Area, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand what has been going on. Public gatherings of more than 1000 have been banned in San Jose, and events in downtown San Francisco including major concerts and conferences have been shut down.”
Under order from the Colombian officials banning gatherings of 1,000 or more, Juanes postponed a planned Para Todos show on March 14 in Bogota.
They Might Be Giants have pushed all March and April shows in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. to the end of the year. “It is our hope the 4.30 Boston show and May shows can proceed as planned, but only time will tell,” they told fans.
Boise, Idaho’s Treefort Music Fest postponed this year’s event from March 25-29 until Sept. 23-27. “With support from The City of Boise and Central District Health, postponing the festival is the best option for the Treasure Valley, the far-reaching Treefort community and the individuals and organizations that support Treefort Music Fest,” the fest wrote. Among the acts on this year’s lineup are: Japanese Breakfast, Chromatics, Grouplove, Tennis, Calexico and Built to Spill.
TMZ reported that the final live auditions in Charlotte on Friday (March 13) and New York on March 21 for the reboot of Making the Band have been canceled. “As a precautionary measure to ensure the health of our production crew, talent and aspiring artists, all public auditions for MTV’s Making the Band in Charlotte, NC on March 13-14 and New York City on March 21-22 have been canceled,” read a statement. “Safety remains our utmost priority, and we’re continuing to defer to health officials and the CDC for guidance.” The show is still accepting auditions online.
Reunited riot grrrl band Bikini Kill have postponed their planned tour of the the northwest, which was slated to kick off on Friday (March 13) with a two-night stand in Olympia, Washington. “We take the health and safety of our supporters, crew and opening bands very seriously, and given the situation in Seattle as well as the lack of information about the actual infection rate of the surrounding areas, it doesn’t make sense for us to go forward with any of the shows in the region,” the band tweeted. Though the shows will not go on for now, the band asked fans to donate to the Interfaith Works Emergency Overnight Shelter, which was to be the beneficiary of their Olympia shows.
Niall Horan‘s Helpful Honda SoundSpace show performance on Friday (March 13) has been canceled.
March 10 – Miley Cyrus canceled her trip to Australia for the World Tour Bushfire Relief concert, due to concerns relating to the coronavirus outbreak. Lil Nas X, The Veronicas and Seb Fontaine were also booked for the now-canceled concert, originally scheduled for Friday (March 13) in Melbourne.
RuPaul’s DragCon LA announced that the planned convention set to take place on May 1, 2 and 3 has been canceled. In a statement posted on their website, DragCon made clear that the cancellation was due directly to the outbreak of COVID-19, and that the “health and safety” of fans and queens must come first.
Pentatonix announced that their world tour, scheduled to kick off on March 16 in Warsaw, Poland, will no longer happen. “Despite our best efforts and intentions, it is, simply, no longer possible for us to execute this tour the way we want to: safely, confidently and completely,” their statement read. The group went on to note that they are working on rescheduling dates.
Zac Brown Band announced via Instagram that they are postponing The Owl tour. “This was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our top priority,” they wrote.
Carlos Santana, who was ready to launch his Miraculous 2020 world tour on March 17 in Krakow, Poland, postponed his tour dates.
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York was scheduled to join The Feminist Institute in a “Bans Off My Body” benefit concert on March 14, for gender equality and access to sexual and reproductive health care. However, due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the event has been canceled.
Though they didn’t mention COVID-19, EDM duo Disclosure announced the postponement of their intimate U.S. DJ tour just two days after rolling out the dates due to “unforeseen circumstances.” “We feel it’s for the best to reschedule all of these club sets when we can play them all properly,” they wrote.
Sammy Hagar posts a video message to fans announcing the cancelation of his South American tour with The Circle.
March 9 – Madonna‘s Madame X Tour has come to an abrupt halt due to new restrictions on public gatherings implemented in France amid the COVID-19 virus spread.”Following official notification from the Office of the Police this morning prohibiting all events with an audience attendance of over 1000, Live Nation regrets to announce the final two Madame X performances previously re-scheduled to 10-March and 11-March are forced to be cancelled,” reads a note on Madonna’s site.
Pearl Jam was scheduled to kick off its North American tour on March 18, but the four-month long run is postponed amid coronavirus fears.
The 2020 editions of Coachella and Stagecoach will need to be moved to later this year, or canceled altogether, admit organizers Goldenvoice.
Though they are forging ahead with their End of the Road tour, Kiss manager Doc McGhee tells Blabbermouth that the band’s members have been advised to temporarily scrap all fan backstage meet-and-greet events.
Poison singer Bret Michaels, 56, has pulled out of The 80s Cruise, on which he was slated to play on March 13 and 14. “As of Sunday March 8, 2020 it has been advised by the Centers for Disease Control that cruise ship travel be deferred for those with compromised immune systems,” read a statement on the singer’s site. “Bret Michaels, a lifelong type 1 Diabetic, falls under the category of those that run the extreme high risk of contracting this illness. Even if this illness is not contracted by Bret, he runs the risk of being quarantined on the ship with fellow music fans that might fall ill.”
Marc Anthony and Henry Cárdenas’s annual Maestro Cares fundraising gala has been postponed. The “Changing Lives, Building Dreams” gala, which was celebrating its ninth annual event March 12 in New York City, has been postponed. A new date is expected to be announced soon.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has canceled this year’s 15th annual ASCAP Experience music conference over concerns about the spreading coronavirus. “Out of consideration for the health and safety of our members and all other participants, and due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), the determination has been made to cancel the 2020 ASCAP Experience,” said the organization in a statement.
Ultra Abu Dhabi — the Middle Eastern edition of the Miami-based festival — has been canceled. It was set to happen March 5-6.
Mariah Carey has postponed her Honolulu date until November. “I was so excited to come back to Hawaii on my ‘anniversary month’ but evolving international travel restrictions force us to consider everyone’s safety and well being,” Carey wrote on Instagram.
British singer Yungblud called off a tour slated to kick off in South Korea, as well as shows in Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore, according to NME. “At first I was going to say, ‘F–k it’ and come, but we have been advised again to seriously not,” the singer reportedly explained in an Instagram story.
March 8 – Richard Marx rescheduled his first European tour in nearly a decade, pushing it from the spring to the fall due to the global health crisis. “We all decided that it was for everyone’s own good, it was for the best interest of the health of everyone I’m counting on to come see me play,” he said in a video announcing the news. “I’m super bummed, selfishly. I was really, really excited about this tour…Every show was sold out. I haven’t played in Europe in eight or nine years at least. The fact you guys supported this tour the way you did made me even more excited to play.”
March 7 – 1980s “Take On Me” band A-ha canceled its Japanese tour, saying it will be rescheduled at a later date. “We were really looking forward to seeing our fans & friends in Asia, but the safety of our fans has to come first of course,” they write. The affected dates include early March gigs in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya.
Ciara postponed a performance at the USO Fort Hood slated for March 19. The 34-year-old singer, who is pregnant, said, “With the continued spread of the coronavirus throughout the U.S., as a pregnant woman, my doctors have advised me to limit travel and large group gatherings,” in a statement according to the Associated Press. “I am disappointed I won’t be able to return this month to the place where I was born, Ft. Hood Texas, and put on the amazing show we had planned.” The show is now slated to take place later this year.
Country band Old Dominion pulled out of their planned appearances at the Country Country festivals in the UK. “After much consideration, we have decided to withdraw from our upcoming performances as part of the @c2cfestival in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, London, and Glasgow,” the band wrote. “We are so sorry to disappoint our fans overseas; however, with the growing uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the virus that is spreading throughout the world, the safety and security of our entire team is the top priority.”
March 6 – In a major blow to the Austin, Texas music community, the 2020 SXSW festival hascanceled its entire event. The loss of the interactive, film and music events with an estimated $356 million economic impact on the city comes after Austin’s Mayor, Steve Adler, declared a local disaster due to COVID-19 fears. It marks the first cancelation of the entire event in its 34-year history.
March 5 – Louis Tomlinson tweeted to fans that the President of the Council of Ministers had decreed that his March 11 show at the Fabrique in Milan has been called off.
Queen and Adam Lambert notified fans that the group’s planned May 26 show at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris has been postponed “following a government decree in France to cancel all indoor events over 5,000 capacity in France until 31st May in an effort to contain the spread of Coronavirus.” The band said they are working with the promoter to reschedule the date and will announce a new one soon.
Organizers of Tomorrowland Winter in France announced that they have canceled the 2020 winter edition of the electronic dance music festival due to health concerns connected with the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Tomorrowland Winter 2020 was set to run March 14-21 at the French alpine ski resort of Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski.
March 4 – Ultra Music Festival’s flagship Miami festival scheduled for March 20-22 has been called off, according to city officials.
Slipknot postponed a planned Asian tour slated to kick off on March 20 with the two-night Knotfest, while fellow hard rockers Whitesnake, Sons of Apollo and the Michael Schenker Fest all canceled dates too.
As a result of Apple pulling out of this year’s SXSW festival — along with Twitter, Amazon, TikTok, Facebook and other major companies — Spike Jonze’s Beastie BoysStory documentary is not slated to premiere at the event. Nine Inch Nails has also dropped out of the film portion of the annual fest in Austin, Texas, tweeting, “We’re sorry we won’t be giving our Watchmen keynote at SXSW this year (because we had some surprises in store!) However, it was the right decision.”
March 3 – Maluma has postponed his upcoming concert in Milan amid the outbreak in Italy.
March 2 – Wolf Parade canceled European and U.K. dates for the tour supporting their latest album, Thin Mind. The first show was scheduled for Mar. 2 in the Netherlands.
Lacuna Coil canceled their tour of Asia and Australia. “Our home region of Lombardia, Italy, is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak,” a statement reads. “Everyone’s health and safety must come first and this includes our fans.”
The National canceled their March 17 and 18 shows in Tokyo for “the interest of public safety.” In an online statement, The National said, “We look forward to returning in the future and performing for our friends in Japan.” The group was set to see support from Phoebe Bridgers.