5 Pop Artists Who Cancelled Their Shows and Tours in 2024
Jennifer Lopez infamously canceled her summer tour “This Is Me… Live” in support of her album This Is Me… Now. Her reason? To spend time with family and friends. However, even before the announcement, the tour had already been rumored to have low ticket sales, as well as issues with her then-husband Ben Affleck (who supposedly inspired most of the songs on her album), according to Yahoo! Entertainment.
Aside from Lopez, here are five pop artists who canceled their shows and tours this year.
PinkPantheress
The British pop singer who opened for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour canceled her 2024 tours. PinkPantheress posted on her Instagram story as published by Billboard, “It is with the heaviest heart that sadly have to announce that i will not be able to continue with the rest of my live shows this year in order to focus on my physical health and overall wellbeing. It appears i have reached a wall which i am struggling to penetrate through. this will include my GUTS tour, Field Day, Summer Sonic, FORM, III Points, and Australia/NZ appearances.”
The “Just for Me” singer had been opening for Rodrigo in the summer of 2024 right after headlining her UK and Europe Capable of Love tour.
Justin Timberlake
Fox News reported Justin Timberlake canceled his New Jersey show from his The Forget Tomorrow World tour 30 minutes before the gates were supposed to open due to an alleged injury. He posted on his socials about the cancellation. “I’m so sorry to postpone tonight’s show. I have an injury that is preventing me from performing. I’m so disappointed to not see you all – but I’m working to reschedule ASAP. I promise to make it up to you and give you the show ya’ll deserve. Thank you guys for understanding. Appreciate your support always.”
Ticket holders were understandably outraged.
People reported he also canceled his Oklahoma show because of the same injury and because he hasn’t “been feeling great the last few shows” because of “bronchitis and laryngitis.”
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is another artist who canceled one of her shows for her Radical Optimism tour this year. Per E! News, the “New Rules” singer had to cancel her Jakarta, Indonesia show for safety reasons. She wrote via her Instagram story, “I am here in your amazing country and ready to perform, but I am gutted to share that it has been determined that it is not safe for the performance to carry on due to safety issues with the staging.”
The Weeknd
The Weeknd’s Australia tour was initially slated for December 2023 but was postponed and then cancelled in April 2024 due to “unforeseen circumstances.” However, Time Out reported that the tour was back on, but only in Sydney and Melbourne. The original plan included Brisbane and New Zealand.
P!nk
Per Billboard, P!nk canceled her Switzerland show per her doctor’s advice. The “Get This Party Started” singer posted the news on her Instagram. “I am so sorry that I have had to cancel my show in Bern. I do everything I can to ensure I can perform for you every night, but after consultation with my doctor and exploring all options available, I’ve been advised that I’m unable to continue with the show. I was looking forward to being with you and making memories with you and sharing our show with you and am so disappointed that we have to cancel.”
Tour and show cancellations aren’t experienced only by pop artists. Several rock bands, like the Black Keys and Local H and rappers such as Lauryn Hill and Sexxy Red have also canceled tour dates. According to Dave Clark of Ticket News, per NBC News, there are several reasons behind low ticket sales for some acts such as “many consumers are struggling to pay for basic necessities” and that there are “too many acts trying to tour at once.”
With expensive ticket prices, fans and concertgoers have become more discerning about which artists they are willing to spend their hard-earned money on.
