Billboard has compiled an ongoing list of major concerts and events that have been postponed or canceled due to the outbreak.
As the coronavirus disease continues to spread, live event organizers have been canceling or postponing large gatherings from technology conferences to major concerts.
Cancellations Announced In May
May 29: The Faith No More and Korn joint tour, which was set to kick off in August, has been canceled “out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our fans, crew, and fellow artists.” Faith No More said that ticketholders will be emailed about refund options.
May 27: Rammstein announced their 2020 North American tour will be rescheduled to 2021. “Sadly, but in the best interests of everyone’s health and safety, we have to postpone our North America Tour. We are now working on rescheduling the tour in 2021,” the group tweeted.
May 24: Josh Groban postponed his Radio City Music Hall residency shows until 2021. See the new dates here.
May 20: Beck has canceled his 2020 European tour. “Due to continued restrictions on public gatherings, and in the interest of public safety, the below Beck shows will not be happening as scheduled,” his official Twitter account shared. “We’re working to reschedule as many of these shows as soon as it is safe to do so and will keep you updated along the way. Please refer to point of purchase for ticketing/refund information. Beck is very sorry about this situation and is looking forward to getting back on stage as soon as possible.”
May 19: James Taylor and Jackson Browne announced their 2020 tour dates are officially moving to 2021. “We were hoping to reschedule the tour a bit sooner but the experts we consulted have advised waiting for a full year. We thank you all for your patience and understanding and are really encouraged by the majority of you who are holding onto your tickets. We WILL honor them,” the duo said in a statement.
May 18: England’s Ramblin’ Man Fair 2020 has been canceled. The event originally slated to take place at Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent, on July 17-19 with sets from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hawkwind, Clutch, Rival Sons and more was forced to call this year’s gathering off because the UK is not permitting mass gatherings.
May 15: NCT 127 have cancelled their 2020 North American tour. “NCTzens! I’m very sad to say that because of the current situation we will be having to cancel the North American tour,” the band’s Johnny tweeted. “We know that you guys were looking forward to the new tour as much as us. We’ll make sure to keep you guys smiling one way or another, and make sure that the next time we tour it’ll be the most magical. Thank you guys always, stay safe, stay healthy. We love you.”
May 14: Kenny Chesney has pushed all the dates on his NFL stadium Chillaxification tour to 2021. “No one has tried harder than my team to make the 2020 Chillaxification Tour a reality,” Chesney wrote in a note to fans. “Sadly, we can’t find a way to make it safe to navigate water that’s just not getting any clearer.” Original tickets will automatically be valid for the rescheduled show dates.
Kiss have postponed their 2020 Kiss Kruise. “The KISS Kruise X will now set sail October 2021 from Port of Miami,” a statement on the website reads. “We will notify you of the exact new sailing dates, lineup and updated event information just as soon as we have all the details finalized. We have extended an invitation for all currently booked artists to join us in 2021 and are excited to share our final lineup featuring some returning and new acts for next year. For a full FAQ and details of the new programs and policies, including transfers and beverage package options, please visit: sixthman.net/assurance. As we embark upon rescheduling an entire Summer and Fall season, we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we diligently work to provide you with updated event information as quickly as we can.”
Andrew Bird and Calexico and Iron & Wine have postponed their Great Summer Stroll Tour. “In the interest of the health of our fans, band, crew, promoters, and venues, we are postponing the Great Summer Stroll tour to June 2021,” Iron & Wine wrote on Instagram. See the full statement here.
May 13: New Order and Pet Shop Boys are postponing their Unity Tour of North America. Originally scheduled to kick off in September, the tour will now commence a year later, in September 2021.
Iconic British festival Creamfields has postponed this year’s event until 2021. The festival was originally slated to take place from Aug. 27-30 and feature sets from Carl Cox, Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz and more; it is now scheduled for 2021’s August Bank Holiday weekend (Aug. 26-29).
Slipknot’s summer tour dates have been canceled. The band announced on Twitter that all North American and U.K. shows, as well as Knotfest at Sea, are no longer happening due to the coronavirus.
May 12: Two of England’s most iconic festivals, Reading and Leeds, have canceled this summer’s events. “We’ve been closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and we were hopeful we could deliver the ultimate festival to you in August, something to look forward to in these strange and confusing times,” read a statement. “However, it has become clear that it’s just not possible for this year’s festival to go ahead.” The events were slated to feature the reunited Rage Against the Machine, Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Migos, Run the Jewels and many more.
Bob Dylan’s “Never Ending Tour” has been put on ice for the summer. Dylan has canceled all of his summer dates, which were slated to kick off in early June and go through mid-July. “In the interest of public health and safety and after many attempts to try and reschedule these shows for a workable timeframe this year, it is with deep regret that we announce the US Bob Dylan shows originally scheduled for June/July are cancelled,” the folk rock icon tweeted.
The Black Keys have canceled their summer headlining tour. “We are very disappointed to let you know the US Let’s Rock Summer tour is no longer happening,” the band said in a statement. “We were looking forward to seeing you all out there, but the health and safety of our fans and crew has to take priority. We hope to see you all soon. Please stay safe!” Ticket holders will be emailed with refund options.
Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, Spain announced it’s postponing its fifth anniversary weekend one full year back, from July 8-11, 2020 to July 8-11, 2021. “It has not been an easy decision to make, but we believe is the best one considering the present circumstances. Your health and safety are our priorities,” the festival wrote in a press statement. “You are all the most important thing for the festival, and we need you and your friends and family to be careful and follow all the recommendations established by the authorities.” It remains unclear whether the headliners, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Twenty One Pilots, The Killers, Mumford & Sons and more, will stay on the lineup.
May 6: The 1975 have canceled their massive Finsbury Park show. “For now, keep safe, keep healthy and look after each other,” read a statement shared to the band’s social media. The event was set to take place on July 11 at the London park location.
Pitchfork has canceled its annual music festival. “It can be pretty daunting to think about the future of live music right now, but know that we are fully committed to bringing Pitchfork Music Festival back in 2021, if the public health situation allows for it,” the publication said in a statement. “In the meantime, we urge everyone to follow local health department guidelines.”
May 5: Global Citizen and Teneo announced Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream, the year-long campaign and multi-city series of events meant to drive impact for the world to achieve the United Nations Global Goals, will not take place on Sept. 26, 2020. The campaign will extend into 2021 and the major events will be postponed to Sept. 25, 2021.
Jack Antonoff announced that his Shadow of the City festival has been rescheduled for May 29, 2021. “you all know the reasons why and that if there was any way to safely keep it, we would have,” the statement reads. “so why all the way to may 2021? because i don’t want to mess around. in all our research that is a date that is truly realistic and this show can’t be a moving target.”
May 4: Snoop Dogg announced his U.K. & Ireland I Wanna Thank Me Tour will now take place in Feb. 2021. The tour features Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Obie Trice, D12 and Versatile.
Journey has canceled their 2020 tour. They were set to hit arenas around North America with The Pretenders. “There is no greater thrill for us than playing for our incredibly devoted audience, but their safety must come first,” Journey said in a statement.
Dave Matthews Band has moved their summer 2020 tour dates to 2021. “We make this decision with the health, safety, and well-being of our fans, touring crew, and venue staff as our priority,” DMB said in a statement. See more info here.
Canadian Music Week will skip the Toronto music conference and festival’s 2020 edition due to overriding concern for the safety of all participants and attendees. The event had already been postponed from May 19–23 when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March and was rescheduled for Sept. 9–11 at the Sheraton Centre and various venues.
May 1: The Lumineers have cancelled all of their May and June tour dates. “Like all of you, we’ve been closely monitoring the ongoing global pandemic. We are deeply disappointed to announce the cancelation of all of our May and June tour dates,” the band said in a statement. According to a release, “Fans who purchased tickets for the upcoming shows scheduled at Live Nation venues will have the option for a full refund, or a credit for 150% of the purchase price and the number of tickets originally purchased will also be donated to healthcare workers.” Learn more here.
Kesha’s 2020 High Road tour with Big Freedia will not be happening in 2020. “Thank you for being here, and for your understanding,” she wrote on Instagram. “Please stay tuned for more info about new tour dates in 2021. I’m going to boogie with you SO hard next year. Stay well and stay strong, wishing all of you health! XOXO. at the end of a storm comes a rainbow.”
Phish rescheduled their 2020 tour. ” We’ve been as excited as ever to play music for you all, and are so heartbroken to postpone these dates. The health and well-being of Phish fans, our touring crew, and the communities in which the band plays is our top concern,” the band wrote on Instagram.
Rage Against the Machine announced rescheduled dates for their reunion tour with Run the Jewels. See it here.
The June dates of Reba McEntire’s Las Vegas residency with Brooks & Dunn were canceled. The show is set to return to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in October.
Kelly Clarkson gave an update about her Las Vegas residency at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood, which was previously pushed back to July 2020 but will now not take the stage until 2021. “There is just too much uncertainty going on right now, and we want to make sure everybody’s safe and we want to make sure everybody can have a good time when you come see me in Vegas — no one’s worrying about anything,” she said. “We should be good by then, right?”
