Unexpected musical partnerships that rocked the charts
In 2004, Madonna kicked off her worldwide "Re-invention" tour in Los Angeles. According to her official website, her tour boasted 56 security guards backstage.
Three stops in Israel were canceled because of violence in the region related to the killing of the leader of the militant group Hamas. It was rumored that an "unidentified Palestinian terror group" threatened Madonna's children.
A suicide bomber, Salman Abedi, set off a backpack bomb in the Manchester Arena at the end of Ariana Grande's concert on May 22, 2017. The attack left more than 100 injured and 22 people dead.
On the day of the incident, an 18-wheeled, large truck plowed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day (the national day of France) in Nice. She posted on Instagram that due to the tragic events, her concert would be canceled.
Rihanna was getting ready to perform in Nice, France as part of her "Anti" world tour when a horrific terror attack occurred. At least 84 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
More than 250 survivors of the event took legal action against Britain's domestic intelligence agency, claiming they didn't act fast enough on key information and "missed a significant opportunity to prevent the bombing." Grande chose to cancel several shows scheduled across Europe in the week following the attack.
U2 was on tour in 2017 performing their 1987 Album, 'The Joshua Tree.' They were scheduled to perform at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis on September 16.
After the St.Louis Police Department informed the band that they were "not in the position to provide standard protection" for an event of this size, U2 canceled the concert saying the safety of their fans was of their "utmost concern."
Only hours before they were due on stage, the band canceled. They cited "extreme weather conditions" and said they were concerned about safety due to the rain.
In 2017, the band Green Day was scheduled to play a show in Glasgow, Scotland. The concert was set to take place in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park.
Halsey was scheduled to perform in Columbia, Maryland at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. However, the city was also under a tornado and flash flood warning.
On the first day of the Astroworld Festival in 2021, eight young people were killed and and a further 300 injured. Authorities mentioned looking into a series of cardiac arrests that took place. Subsequent days of the festival were canceled given the tragedy.
Three Taylor Swift shows in Vienna were canceled after two people were arrested under suspicion of planning a terror attack focusing on one of Swift's shows, scheduled to take place on August 8, 9, and 10.
Astroworld 2021 was the third annual edition of the festival. The crowd attendance was approximately 50,000 people and after some panic, the crowd was compressed towards the front of the stage and injuries began occurring.
The venue was sold out and approximately 170,000 fans were expected to attend. While the organizers said tickets will be refunded, fans everywhere are extremely disappointed.
The Rolling Stones canceled their June 13 performance in Amsterdam after Mick Jagger tested positive for COVID-19. Sources say the Jagger started to feel symptoms upon arriving at the stadium and then took the test.
Chris Stapleton is considered one of country's most soulful voices. In June of 2022, he announced that he'd be rescheduling several shows after testing positive for COVID.
The band had started their European "sixty" tour on June 1, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. It was scheduled to have concerts in cities like Munich, Liverpool, London, and Paris.
Chris was also forced to cancel most of his 2020 concert schedule due to the pandemic. He returned to the road in 2021 and worked to reschedule some shows thanks to the surge in demand for his concerts and music.
Torrential rains in Auckland resulted in flooding and evacuations. Both the domestic and international airports were shut down. Given the extreme weather, the Elton John concert was canceled.
Taylor Swift's Eras tour concert in Rio de Janeiro was scheduled for November 17, 2023. However, the singer decided to cancel the show due to an extreme heatwave that took the life of one young fan and put thousands more at risk of heat-related illnesses.
The young woman who died of heat exhaustion was 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides. Swift took to social media to express her sadness over the death, writing, "There's very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young."
In June of 2023, Louis Tomlinson was scheduled to play at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. During his set, the weather made a turn for the worst and it started hailing.
World-renowned singer and performer Elton John was scheduled to perform in Auckland, New Zealand in January 2023. However, the concert was canceled due to a state of emergency being declared.
The severe hail caused almost 100 fans to suffer injuries like broken bones and cuts. The show had to be cut short due to the disaster.
In July of 2024, the Foo Fighters were forced to end their show early due to dangerous weather conditions in New York. They had been playing in the open-plan Citi Field Stadium during a severe electrical storm when it became unsafe to continue.
Sadly, they only made it through 13 songs of a 20-song set. They weren't able to reschedule the half-played show.
The severe rain left fans drenched and by 10 pm, the venue tweeted that the show was canceled due to the weather. Inside the open-topped stadium, fans were in danger as rain poured through the ceiling and caused flooding.
British 80's sensation New Order's concert, scheduled for August 22, in Cardiff, Wales, was abruptly canceled just hours before the show.
The decision was made due to health and safety concerns arising from extreme weather conditions, including severe winds.
Sources: (Newsweek) (Billboard) (CBS News) (Reuters) (Unilad) (NBC News) (USA Today Life) (AP) (BBC) (NPR)
See also: The world's most popular genres of music
Over the years, live music events have faced many unexpected threats and safety concerns. As fans eagerly wait to see their favorite artists perform live, behind the scenes, organizers are grappling with more complex challenges. In 2024 alone, Taylor Swift's Eras World Tour has faced threats from terrorism and extreme weather. The growing potential for disaster on these record-breaking, sold-out tours begs the question, is this sustainable?
In this gallery, dive into examples of canceled shows from world-renowned musicians and explore the “why” behind them. Click through now to learn more.
Concerts that were canceled due to safety concerns
Danger is closer than you might think
MUSIC Shows
Over the years, live music events have faced many unexpected threats and safety concerns. As fans eagerly wait to see their favorite artists perform live, behind the scenes, organizers are grappling with more complex challenges. In 2024 alone, Taylor Swift's Eras World Tour has faced threats from terrorism and extreme weather. The growing potential for disaster on these record-breaking, sold-out tours begs the question, is this sustainable?
In this gallery, dive into examples of canceled shows from world-renowned musicians and explore the “why” behind them. Click through now to learn more.