Lionel Richie axes MSG concert an hour after start

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire cancelled their sold-out concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday (12 August), an hour after it was due to begin.

With 20,000 fans in the venue, the start of the co-headline show was initially pushed back an hour before it was subsequently cancelled.

“Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight,” 74-year-old Richie tweeted at 8:31 pm.

“I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.”

“Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight”

Earth, Wind & Fire were due to play a headline show at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, this evening which has now been pushed back to Wednesday (16 August).

The co-headliners are in the midst of their Sing A Song All Night Long Tour, which includes 20 dates in the US and Canada between 4 August and 15 September. Richie has said it is “the tour I’ve been trying to do for years”.

Tickets for the arena tour range from $18 in Minnesota to $104 in Toronto.

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.