Ill health affects major tours despite best efforts

Worldwide concert tours by Ozzy Osbourne and Elton John have been disrupted this week, as the stars battle with poor health.

Earlier today (18 February), Ozzy Osbourne cancelled the North American leg of his upcoming No More Tours 2 tour – which had been rescheduled from last year – “to recover from various health issues”.

“I don’t want to start a tour and then cancel shows at the last minute, as it’s just not fair to the fans,” reads a statement on the singer’s website. “I’d rather they get a refund now and when I do the North American tour down the road, everyone who bought a ticket for these shows will be the first ones in line to purchase tickets at that time.”

Osbourne was due to start the Live Nation-promoted tour in Atlanta at the end of May. A run of European tour dates starting in October 2020 are currently due to go ahead as planned.

Another artist to experience health-related issues this week is Elton John, who was forced to leave the stage during a show at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium in New Zealand on Sunday night. The singer had been diagnosed with walking pneumonia – a milder strain of the illness – earlier that day.

“I don’t want to start a tour and then cancel shows at the last minute, as it’s just not fair to the fans”

Chugg Entertainment, which is promoting Elton John’s upcoming shows in New Zealand and Australia, has confirmed that the star’s two remaining Auckland dates will be postponed to 2021.

“Despite the best efforts of a performer who never wants to disappoint his fans, upon further consultation from doctors and specialists, it has this evening been decided that Sir Elton John’s two remaining Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, performances will be rescheduled to Friday 15 and Saturday 16 January 2021,” reads a press statement.

The rescheduled dates extend the singer’s mammoth Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which was due to conclude at London’s O2 Arena on 17 December 2020. Tickets for this year’s postponed shows will be valid for the dates in 2021, with those unable to attend next year able to request a refund via Ticketmaster.

Ill health has also troubled Madonna recently, causing the cancellation of 11 of the 93 dates on her Madame X tour. The singer called off three shows of her recent 14-show residency at London’s Palladium theatre due to injury.

“As you all know I have multiple injuries and have had to cancel shows to give me time to recover,” said the artist in a statement.

Photo: Ernst Vikne/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) (cropped)

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.