Coronavirus hits the music biz: Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Pearl Jam cancel shows
Some of the biggest names in music ― from Madonna, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus to Green Day and Pearl Jam ― are canceling concerts in the U.S. and abroad in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Rock band Kiss, meanwhile, has nixed all upcoming meet-and-greets with fans as the number of global cases on Tuesday morning passed 114,000 ― including more than 700 people in the U.S., which has resulted in 26 deaths nationwide.
Pearl Jam on Monday announced the postponement of its upcoming North American tour in a series of tweets in which it also took aim at President Donald Trump’s administration over its haphazard handling of the crisis:
(2/10) 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.— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(3/10) 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.— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(4/10) So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements...
This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date.— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(5/10) 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.
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(6/10) Add to that 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.
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(7/10) 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.
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(8/10) 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.
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(9/10) 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.
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
(10/10) Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energized as ever.
We are so sorry…
And deeply upset..
If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.
- Ed & Pearl Jam— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020
Madonna was forced to cancel the final two stops of her “Madame X” tour in Paris, France, after authorities banned events involving more than 1,000 people.
“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,” read a note posted on the pop star’s official website Monday.
Miley Cyrus announced she wouldn’t headline a bushfire relief concert in Melbourne, Australia, on Mar. 13. “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,” Cyrus tweeted.
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.
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 10, 2020
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
Mariah Carey has postponed Tuesday’s show in Honolulu, Hawaii:
Aloha Hawaii!! I'm so so sad to have to announce that I'm postponing my show to 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. (Cont.) pic.twitter.com/HVbPX6PSxm
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 3, 2020
Avril Lavigne has scrapped the Asian leg of her “Head Above Water” tour:
A post shared by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne) on Feb 29, 2020 at 12:21pm PST
Ciara has pulled out of the grand opening of the new Fort Hood USO in Texas on Mar. 19.
“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,” she said in a statement. “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.”
K-pop super group BTS has nixed its April tour shows in Seoul, South Korea, while Queen has postponed its May dates in Paris and Green Day has pushed back its upcoming gigs in Asia:
We have unfortunately made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming shows in Asia due to the health + travel concerns with coronavirus. 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.
— Green Day (@GreenDay) February 28, 2020
The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, has also been canceled.
The three-day Ultra electronic dance music festival ― featuring David Guetta and The Chainsmokers ― in Miami, Florida, has been postponed.
And the National Symphony Orchestra, meanwhile, has axed its tour to Japan.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
