Miley Cyrus, Pearl Jam, Green Day and The National also announced concert cancellations.
Concerns over the worldwide spread of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, have led many musicians to cancel their upcoming concerts.
On Thursday, March 12, Billie Eilish announced that all of her North American tour dates have been postponed until further notice, with details on those dates coming soon. All tickets will be honored for the new dates.
"I'm so sad to do this but we need to postpone these dates to keep everyone safe," Eilish said in a press release. "We’ll let you know when they can be rescheduled. Please keep yourselves healthy. I love you."
The news comes just three days after Eilish kicked off her Where Do We Go? tour in Miami and she even posted on Instagram about how well the first two shows of the tour went and asked fans if they were "ready for more."
Maluma also posted to Instagram, sharing that he and his management company, WK Entertainment, have decided to postpone shows in the remaining 14 European cities on the Maluma 11:11 World Tour 2020 because they are "respecting the request of the European government with regards to the global COVID-19 health pandemic."
Additionally, Michael Bublé has postponed several upcoming dates of his tour, which was scheduled to begin in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 17. All dates through April 5 have been postponed and new dates will be announced soon, but the shows after May 2 will continue as scheduled.
"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 commented in a press release.
Plus, Dan + Shay's The (ARENA) Tour is being moved from the spring to the summer, with the new kickoff date being July 30 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
"Well, here we are. March 12, 2020, sitting in a bus parked outside Wells Fargo Center, making a statement we never thought we’d have to make. After the mandatory postponement of our Philadelphia show, and several others in the coming weeks, we have made the collective decision (with our team and health officials) to postpone the spring leg of THE (ARENA) TOUR," the duo said in a statement. "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," they added. "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."
That same day, both Cher and Blake Shelton also announced that effective immediately, they would either be postponing or canceling some of their tour dates.
"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," Cher said in a statement.
As for Shelton, he is rescheduling his tour dates from March 12 to March 21. He was to be performing in Omaha, Nebraska, on March 12.
"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. "Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can bet we’ll see you back here soon!"
Live Nation, AEG, CAA, WME, Paradigm and UTA, the leaders in live entertainment, also released a joint statement saying they would be postponing arena concerts.
"At this time, we collectively recommend large scale events through the end of March be postponed. We continue to support that small scale events follow guidance set by their local government officials," read the statement. "We feel fortunate to have the flexibility to reschedule concerts, festivals, and live events as needed, and look forward to connecting fans with all their favorite artists and live entertainment soon."
Miley Cyrus was another artist who canceled a performance in response to the growing concerns stemming from the global outbreak. Cyrus took to Twitter to announce that she would no longer be able to perform at a planned concert in Australia.
"Australia: Due to the recommendations of local, state, federal and international government authorities, including the Center for Disease Control, to reduce potential health risks in response to the current global health crisis, we are no longer traveling to Aus for the show," Cyrus wrote. "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 bush fire," Cyrus added. "I’m sorry to miss everyone in Australia, but I will be back soon."
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 bush fire. I’m sorry to miss everyone in Australia, but I will be back soon.
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 10, 2020
BTS took to Twitter to announce that their April stops in Seoul during the Map of the Soul Tour will be nixed, and that anyone who bought tickets will receive refunds.
"It is unavoidable that the concert must be canceled without further delay," the K-pop group's official Twitter account shared, in Korean. "Please understand that this decision was made after extensive and careful consideration."
The group's decision comes after reported cases of novel coronavirus infections in South Korea skyrocketed in recent days -- the coronavirus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China -- has spread across the globe with infections and death tolls rising in numerous countries within Asia, Europe, as well as North and South America.
BTS was expected to kick off their world tour in Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium on April 11, 12, 18 and 19. However, it appears the tour will now start on April 25 in Santa Clara, California.
BTS was not the first K-pop group to cancel concerts over coronavirus concerns. Both Taeyon and NCT canceled their scheduled shows in Singapore. The country has had 96 confirmed cases of the virus.
Additionally, British rapper Stormzy announced on his since-deleted Twitter account that he will be postponing his planned Asia tour. Green Day similarly made the "difficult decision" to postpone their tour of Asia.
"We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon," the band wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, country artist Kacey Musgraves canceled her upcoming trip to Italy, which has seen at least 650 cases of the virus.
On Saturday, Feb. 29, Avril Lavigne also confirmed that she would have to postpone her concerts in Asia.
"I am so sad to announce that we are unable to tour the Asian market due to the continuous outbreak of the coronavirus," Lavigne's statement reads. "My bad, crew and I have been working so hard to bring this tour worldwide and are completely bummed out. Please everybody take care of yourselves and stay healthy. You're in my thoughts and prayers and we are hoping to announce rescheduled shows soon."
The singer then ended up also canceling her shows in Italy and France, "due to the decision from the Italian and French governments to cancel all shows," on March 5.
The National had to cancel their tour as well, tweeting: "Much to our disappointment, in the interest of public safety our March 17+18 dates in Tokyo have been cancelled. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase from March 3 to March 31, 2020. We look forward to returning in the future and performing for our friends in Japan."
Mariah Carey meanwhile postponed an upcoming show in Hawaii, and while she did not mention the virus, she cited increasing travel restrictions for the decision. Carey was scheduled to perform at Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu on Mar. 10.
“Aloha Hawaii!! I'm so so sad to have to announce that I'm postponing my show to November," she wrote on Instagram. "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. With that said, I am SUPER excited to be coming to Honolulu in November and perform my special All I Want for Christmas Is You & Hits extravaganza for the first time ever in Hawaii! I can't wait to see you! Stay safe!!”
Ozzy Osbourne also opted to cancel his appearance at SXSW. The rocker was scheduled to attend the conference in support of the world premiere screening of Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, a two-hour documentary special exploring his many lives and decade-spanning career.
Old Dominion also announced that they would withdraw from their upcoming performance as part of the C2C Music Festival in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Glasgow.
"We are so sorry to disappoint fans overseas," the members wrote. "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."
On Sunday, March 8, Ciara also announced she'd be postponing her concert performance in her hometown of Fort Hood, Texas. She was scheduled to perform at the opening of the USO Center on March 19 but given the outbreak -- and the fact that she's pregnant -- the singer said she's been advised to limit all travel and exposure to sizable gatherings.
"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," Ciara said in a statement released through the Fort Hood USO Center's FaceBook page. "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 however I look forward to being able to bring it to you at a later date in 2020."
"I want to thank the USO and the entire community at Ft. Hood for extending your hospitality to myself and my team," she added. "I urge everyone to be diligent in taking steps to stay healthy and safe!"
On Monday, March 9, Pearl Jam joined the growing number of artists and groups to nix planned shows when they took to Twitter to reveal that they have decided to postpone their upcoming Gigaton Tour, as "the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level."
"As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives," the band wrote in a statement shared to social media. "Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy... We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority."
"We also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid," the added. "Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another."
The statement explained that they planned on rescheduling the postponed performances for a later date and that "current tickets will be honored for the new dates."
On Wednesday, March 11, Cher made the call to cancel her upcoming concert performance in Oklahoma City at the Chesapeake Energy Arena after it was announced that the upcoming NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz was cancelled -- and the NBA season suspended -- after a player for the Jazz tested positive for coronavirus.
"I AM SO SORRY,BUT YOUR HEALTH IS PARAMOUNT. I HAVEN’T FELT SCARED,(In Crew We??ING & HOLDING??,BUT ON STAGE WE’RE”FACE 2 FACE”,BUT 2DAY I HAD 2GO WITH MY GUT.CONCERTS R AMAZING FUN,BUT NOTHING IS WORTH YOUR HEALTH.I ♥️ALL OF YOU,BUT THIS MORNING IT FELT IT WASNT SAFE," Cher tweeted Wednesday evening. "We Dont Realize How Many Ppl we Come In Contact with.On The Bus We Talked About All The Ppl We’ve Met??Since This Flu Started.Cant Visit Mom,Incase I’m Positive.PLEASE ?? YOUR HANDS WITH HOT WATER,OR PURELL,& DONT TOUCH UR FACE,Shake??,Get 2 Close,& Let Ppl Breathe On You?"
In the United States, there have been at least 1,320 reported cases of the virus, with 38 reported deaths stemming from the virus.
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