Lauryn Hill speaks out on Fugees tour cancellation

Lauryn Hill has blamed “sensationalism and clickbait headlines” for the decision to cancel her North American tour with the Fugees.

Billed as a 25th anniversary celebration of Hill’s debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the 18-date “co-headline” run was set to feature the US singer and Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.

But the tour, which had been rescheduled from last November, was pulled this week – just three days before tonight’s (9 August) scheduled opener at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida.

Alleging that unfavourable media coverage had hurt ticket sales for the dates, Hill says the decision to cancel was made “with difficulty”.

“Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows,” she says on social media. “Regrettably, some media outlets’ penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour.

“The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”

“We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe in October”

Hill & the Fugees’ October/November 2024 European tour is scheduled to go ahead as planned. Kicking off in Ireland at Dublin’s 3Arena, it is slated to include UK arena dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, plus shows in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.

“The audiences in the UK and Europe not only haven’t seen the Miseducation anniversary performance yet, they also haven’t seen the Fugees perform together in over 25 years,” adds Hill. “Performing for my fans, is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time. Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am.

“We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe in October — and for our fans in North America, when these unforeseen circumstances are resolved, we’ll be back in full force.”

A number of other high-profile artists have also cancelled gigs at short notice in recent days, including Journey, who axed their UK & Ireland tour as a result of “circumstances beyond the band’s control”, Rod Stewart, who called off his 200th residency celebration show in Las Vegas due to suffering from strep throat, and Blink-182, who pulled two US concerts “due to illness”.

Last week meanwhile, PinkPantheress and Garbage both cancelled all their upcoming tour dates for health reasons.

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