The concert was set for November 24th
Kiss will no longer be performing at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee on November 24th as frontman Paul Stanley continues to battle a severe case of the flu. The show has been canceled, and not postponed, as word began to spread throughout the day on Thanksgiving.
The band shared the following message on Friday, November 24th. “Due to an unforeseen illness in the band party, we are unable to perform tonight. Refunds will be available at your point of purchase.
Statement from KISS:
Due to an unforeseen illness in the band party, we are unable to perform tonight. Refunds will be available at your point of purchase. https://t.co/FBfP5pKBWH— Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center (@FoodCityCenter) November 24, 2023
Respected rock journalist Mitch Lafon was the first to share the news on social media on Thursday (Nov 23rd), writing, “I’m told that Kiss’ Knoxville show is canceled. Official announcement should be forthcoming. Staff were apparently notified to not report for work.”
Confusion as to whether the show was postponed or canceled filled up Lafon’s comments.
A screenshot from an email by Axis, the security firm hired for the Knoxville event, was shared telling employees the show was postponed. “Tomorrow’s Kiss show in Knoxville has been postponed due to illness. Please remove this event from your schedule,” they inform employees.
Another screenshot from Kiss Tickets was shared, telling ticketholders, “Due to an illness in the band party, Kiss is unable to perform tomorrow (Fri, Nov 24) in Knoxville, TN. Paul, Gene, Tommy, Eric & Doc send their deepest apologies.”
Lafon posted an additional screenshot from a Facebook conversation with former A&R executive Tom Zutaut confirming the cancelation. “Knoxville is canceled! I have it directly from the band!” the comment says.
Knoxville is the third show this week to have been canceled because of Stanley’s illness. The group axed their final Canadian shows in Ottawa and Toronto on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It’s unclear if additional shows will be affected. As of this writing, the iconic group plans to end their touring career with final shows in New York City on December 1st and 2nd. The city has been a part of the band’s ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-worthy career on stage at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The band will offer a pay-per-view of the last-ever Kiss show on December 2nd via cable and satellite operators in the US and Canada and online. The live show begins at 8 pm EST.
The band will host an epic New York City takeover in honor of their final live shows ever. Various takeover activations and experiential events are scheduled across a five-day period starting November 29th. Kiss, in partnership with Universal Music Group’s Bravado, has carefully curated and developed events to pay tribute to the band’s deep legacy and history with New York City.
The End of the Road Tour was officially set to close on July 21, 2021, with a New York City stop, but was delayed due to the pandemic.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, Kiss has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of Kiss Army fans.
I’m told that KISS’ Knoxville show is canceled. Official announcement should be forthcoming. Staff were apparently notified to not report for work. pic.twitter.com/TEDTLjIIC7
— Mitch Lafon (@mitchlafon) November 23, 2023
