QOTSA cancel all remaining 2024 tour dates
Queens of the Stone Age have cancelled the remainder of their 2024 tour due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “essential medical care”.
North American festival dates at Soundside Music Festival and Mempho Music Festival have been cancelled alongside the band’s slot at Mexico City’s Corona Capital.
Meanwhile, US headline shows at MGM Music Hall, Boston, Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago and Breese Stevens Field in Madison have been postponed to next year.
“QOTSA regret to announce the cancellation and/or postponement of all remaining 2024 shows,” says a statement posted to the group’s social media accounts. “Josh has been given no choice but to prioritise his health and to receive essential medical care through the remainder of the year.
“Josh and the QOTSA family are so thankful for your support and the time we were able to spend together over the last year”
“Josh and the QOTSA family are so thankful for your support and the time we were able to spend together over the last year. Hope to see you all again in 2025.”
The rockers were forced to cancel a string of European festival headline dates last month due to 51-year-old Homme requiring “emergency surgery”.
The cancelled performances included Festival Jardin Sonare in France, Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival, Germany’s Zitadelle Spandau, Czechia’s Colours of Ostrav, METAstadt in Austria, Electric Castle Festival in Romania and Athens Rocks in Greece, as well as two headline shows at SRC Salata in Croatia.
They also pulled out of slots at Norway’s Øya, Sweden’s Way Out West, Denmark’s Syd for Solen, Caberet Vert in France, Lowlands in the Netherlands, Belgium’s Pukkelpop and Portugal’s Villar de Mouros.
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Øya taps Jack White to replace QOTSA as headliner
Norway’s Øya Festival has confirmed that Jack White will replace Queens of the Stone Age as headliner of its 25th anniversary edition.
QOTSA have cancelled a further slate of European festival dates due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “continued medical care” at home in the US.
As well as Øya (9 August), the band have pulled out of slots at Sweden’s Way Out West (8 August), Denmark’s Syd for Solen (10 August), Caberet Vert in France (15 August), Lowlands in the Netherlands (16 August), Belgium’s Pukkelpop (18 August) and Portugal’s Villar de Mouros.
“Due to continued medical care, it is under doctors’ orders that Josh Homme remain in their care in the United States,” says a statement posted on social media. “The Homme family and QOTSA are so grateful for the outpouring of well wishes and kind understanding during this time.”
The rock group previously cancelled a run of July festival dates earlier this month after announcing Homme needed to “return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery”.
Air will replace The Smile, who cancelled their August European tour after multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was hospitalised
Jack White will headline the Friday night of Oslo-based Øya, which has also revealed that Air will replace The Smile on the bill on the same day. The French electronic music duo will play their debut album Moon Safari in full.
The Smile were also recently forced to cancel their August European tour dates after multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was hospitalised with an infection.
Set for 6-10 August, Øya will also be headlined by PJ Harvey and Pulp, Janelle Monáe and Gabrielle. Other names performing include The Kills, Vince Staples, The National, Slowdive, Big Thief, Arca, Sampha and Idles.
Organisers say this year’s festival is close to selling out, with fewer than 1,000 day tickets remaining for Friday and 400 for Saturday, while week passes are already sold out.
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Queens of the Stone Age cancel Euro festival dates
Queens of the Stone Age have been forced to cancel a string of European festival headline dates this month due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “emergency surgery”.
The cancelled performances include Festival Jardin Sonare in France (10 July), Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival (13 July), Germany’s Zitadelle Spandau (July 16), Czechia’s Colours of Ostrava (17 July) and METAstadt in Austria (18 July).
The American rock band have also pulled out of Electric Castle Festival in Romania (20 July) and Athens Rocks in Greece (27 July), as well as two headline shows at SRC Salata in Croatia (23-24 July).
“Every effort was made to push through and play for you, but it is no longer an option to continue”
“QOTSA regret to announce that Josh Homme must return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery,” says a social media post from the group. “Every effort was made to push through and play for you, but it is no longer an option to continue.
“Ticket holders for festivals, please visit the specific festival website for updated information. Ticket holders for headline shows will be contacted directly from the point of purchase with further information.”
The band, who are currently slated to return to action at Sweden’s Way Out West on 8 August, previously cancelled a set at Italy’s AMA Festival, scheduled for 5 July, citing “health concerns”. They also have slots booked for later this summer at Norway’s Oya Festival, Syd for Solen in Denmark, Cabaret Vert Festival in France, Lowlands in the Netherlands, Belgium’s Pukkelpop and Vilar de Mouros Festival in Portugal.
Last week meanwhile, Homme revealed QOTSA were set to become the first act to play in the Paris Catacombs.
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Lowlands 2024 sells out in less than 15 minutes
The 2024 edition of Lowlands sold out in less than 15 minutes on Saturday (3 February), becoming one of the Dutch festival’s speediest sellouts.
Around 65,000 tickets flew off the shelf for the Mojo-promoted event, featuring Fred Again…, Queens of the Stone Age and Gold Band among others. And as many as 130,000 people were in the digital queue at one time.
Tickets for this year’s edition were priced at €325, up from €300 the year prior and €255 in 2022.
The 2024 sellout looks to be Lowlands’ third-fastest after 2023 (14 minutes) and 2022 (two minutes).
The 2024 sellout looks to be Lowlands’ third-fastest after 2023 (14 minutes) and 2022 (two minutes)
The speed of the sell-out seems to have surpassed the expectations of the Lowlands team. Festival director Eric van Eerdenburg told Entertainment Business at the end of last year that he didn’t think the festival would sell out within 15 minutes again: “It could be a bit slower. 2023 went very quickly.”
Mojo also announced that 6,187 tickets for Lowlands 2024 were cancelled by Ticketmaster after it was discovered that they had been purchased by ticket-buying bots.
The tickets will be “offered again and for the original price to genuine Lowlanders” this Saturday (10 February).
Lowlands returns to Biddinghuizen between 16–18 August with Skrillex, Peggy Gou, Froukje, The Smile, Nas, Denzel Curry, Jorja Smith, Sugababes, Big Thief, Wargasm and more.
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FR reveals QOTSA Finsbury Park show…as Wireless challenge fails
Liam Gallagher’s 29 June 2018 headline show in Finsbury Park, London, will be followed on the 30th by a similar mini-festival headlined by Queens of the Stone Age, promoter Festival Republic announced today.
The show, billed as ‘Queens of the Stone Age and Friends’, will also include performances by Iggy Pop (a UK exclusive), Run the Jewels and the Hives, with more acts still to be announced.
Festival Republic currently promotes two festivals, Wireless and Community Festival, in Finsbury Park, in Harringay, north London.
The announcement of the QOTSA (pictured) show follows the rejection of another bid by residents’ group Friends of Finsbury Park to prevent Wireless being allowed to take place in the 110-acre park. The association appealed following the failure of a previous legal challenge against Wireless 2016, but its claims were last week dismissed by court of appeal judge Gary Hickinbottom. Friends of Finsbury Park chair Simon Hunt says the group has now applied for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The show will also include performances by Iggy Pop, Run the Jewels and the Hives
Like the Liam Gallagher concert, Festival Republic says the new event is “guaranteed to be [a] stand-out show of the summer”.
In addition to Wireless, Community and the two new shows, Festival Republic has applied to Haringey Council for permission to stage an additional, yet-to-be-announced “music event” with a daily capacity of 20,000 from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 May.
Tickets for the QOTSA-headlined event will go on sale on 9am on Friday 1 December, priced at £52.50 plus booking fee for GA, with VIP tickets are available.
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QOTSA, Chris Stapleton to headline C3’s new Innings Fest
Queens of the Stone Age, country singer Chris Stapleton and folk-rock four-piece the Avett Brothers have been announced as headliners for the inaugural Innings Festival, a new music’n’baseball event planned for next March by Live Nation’s C3 Presents.
Taking place from 23 to 25 March in Tempe Beach Park and Arts Park in Arizona, the Innings Festival 2018 line-up also features Counting Crows, Eagles of Death Metal, Jake Bugg, Mt Joy, Cold War Kids and the Decemberists, along with “curated chef demos” by baseball players and celebrity chef Beau MacMillan.
“The Innings Festival is the perfect combination of music, baseball and the amazing location of Tempe town lake and downtown Tempe,” says Tempe’s mayor, Mark Mitchell. “Thousands of Cactus League [Arizona teams’ pre-season training] fans, locals and visitors alike, will be able to come to experience the gorgeous weather, beautiful setting, great food and awesome music.
“We are excited to welcome performers of this calibre and their fans to celebrate this first ever Innings Fest and we look forward to making this an annual event.”
The full Innings line-up is pictured below:
C3 Presents, best known for Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, earlier this week announced the launch of Sydney City Limits, a new festival in Australia.
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