Shelton is canceling five dates
Country music star Blake Shelton joins the number of artists who have acted on in the best interest of their fans due recent health and safety concerns. Shelton will postpone the final two weekends of his Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour, beginning tonight (Thurs, March 12th) in Omaha. Previously purchased tickets for the five remaining dates will be honored at the to-be-announced rescheduled dates in spring 2021, and refunds will be available at the point of purchase. Consult venue websites for updates and further information.
“Omaha, I’m here in your city with my friends and heroes and am ready to play a show for you, but for all the right reasons – chiefly everyone’s safety and well-being – we have to reschedule tonight and the rest of the tour,” Shelton shares on social media. “Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can bet we’ll see you back here soon!”
Canceled dates include Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Rosemont, IL; Milwuakee, WI and Detroit, MI.
Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, The Who, Pearl Jam, Dan + Shay, Sammy Hagar, Santana, Sons of Apollo, Zac Brown Band, Slipknot and others have canceled or postponed spring shows due to the outbreak within the past week.
Earlier today (March 12th), Live Nation announced the suspension of all domestic and international tours through the end of March. They are hoping to restart the touring season in April or May.
Major festivals and events have also been canceled including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to shutting down 11 days early because of public health concerns, SXSW in Austin and the Ultra Festival in Miami. Promoters Goldenvoice Entertainment announced earlier this week that Coachella and Stagecoach have been pushed back six months to October 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville has also been rescheduled “in light of the tornado this week as well as growing health concerns over the coronavirus.” The C2C Country 2 Country Festival in Europe has also been postponed.
The 35th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony set for May 2nd has also been indefinitely postponed. No new date has been set as of this writing.
The ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards are still slated to be held in Las Vegas in April, but organizers are monitoring the situation closely. CMA Music Fest organizers are also closely watching the outbreak as they prep for the June event in Nashville.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a worldwide pandemic. More than 125,000 cases have been reported in 110 countries with nearly 5000 deaths. However, nearly 70k people have contracted and survived the virus that was discovered last year.
On Wednesday (March 11th), U.S. President Donald Trump declared a 30 day travel ban to European countries, except the U.K., for foreign nationals that goes into effect at midnight on Friday, March 13th. He shares, “I am confident by counting and continuing to take these measures we will significantly reduce the threat to our citizens and we will ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus,” per Fox News.
