By Megan Riedlinger
8:05am PDT, Aug 18, 2017
Stars are people too! And sometimes, they need to call in sick to their jobs. But what happens if they happen to be in the middle of a world tour? Wonderwall.com is rounding up the artists who have had to cancel their tours. First up, Kanye West! Kanye infamously canceled the last month and a half of his 2016 Saint Pablo Tour in November that year, though it didn't come as much of a surprise to fans. For several dates, he'd been delivering strange rants against celebrity pals on stage, starting shows late, ending them early and exhibiting more troubling behavior. Then he was hospitalized for his "own health and safety," and smartly ordered to pull the plug on the remainder of his concerts. Keep reading to see which other superstars cut short their time on the road…
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Selena Gomez was incredibly open with fans when she revealed she was struggling in August 2016. She was in the midst of her Revival Tour when she broke the news that she was canceling half of her tour dates. "I've discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges," she said. "I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off."
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Drake's injured ankle was to blame for the cancelation of a large chunk of his Summer Sixteen Tour in October 2016. Doctors wanted him to rest up after he injured it during the first half. A spokesperson for the rapper stated, "Drake suffered a severe ankle injury during the tour which he did his best to power through. By doing this, he made his injury worse. Under doctors' orders and to ensure Drake only ever gives fans the performances they deserve, he will be postponing the remaining three dates of his Summer Sixteen tour to allow him time to recuperate his ankle injury. Drake's fans mean the world to him. Seeing their faces and performing his music for them is what he loves to do the most and he can't wait to get back on stage."
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With Bono suffering from a terrible back injury, U2 was forced to cancel a large portion of concerts in 2010, including a headlining appearance at Glastonbury plus the North American leg of their 360° Tour.
Lady Gaga had to cancel her Born This Way Ball tour after suffering a hip injury in 2013. The injury required surgery and a long time to heal, which meant 22 shows had to be chopped.
This one had to hurt. When the Jonas Brothers cancelled their 19-date North American tour in October 2013, fans were upset, but not as upset as they were about to be! A few weeks later, the band of brothers announced they were splitting… for good.
Adele is a repeat offender when it comes to tour canceling! Back in October 2011, she was forced to cancel a string of U.S. dates after suffering a vocal chord hemorrhage, only to end up canceling the rest of her 2011 tour in order to undergo throat surgery. The star once again had to break fans' hearts in June 2017 when she canceled two London dates — her final shows in a lengthy world tour — due to damaged vocal chords. "On medical advice I simply am unable to perform over the weekend. To say I'm heartbroken would be a complete understatement," she wrote to fans on Facebook.
In July 2017, Justin Bieber disappointed diehard fans when he announced he would be canceling the remaining dates of his Purpose World Tour. A spokesperson for the pop star explained, "Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. He thanks his fans for the incredible experience of the Purpose World Tour over the last 18 months. He is grateful and honored to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across six continents during this run. However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates." The tour originally started in March 2016, and Justin had just 14 shows left.
Injured vocal chords can strike anyone! Kelly Clarkson was forced to cancel a portion of her Piece by Piece Tour in September 2015 after her doctor put her on vocal rest for the rest of the year. "I am truly sorry that I have to cancel the remainder of my tour dates. I was so looking forward to sharing this tour with all my amazing fans in Canada and the U.K. Unfortunately, my doctor is telling me I have to stay on vocal rest, but I am working hard to get better as fast as possible," Kelly said in a statement to fans.
Who knew Lucy Hale toured? The "Pretty Little Liars" star, who also has a budding career as a country music singer, canceled most of her 2014 tour that December after she suffered from vocal strain. She wrote on Instagram: "Words can't describe how disappointed I am for having to cancel something we were all looking forward to. Your support of my music has made me so happy and you'll never know how grateful I am for you. I am going to follow through and take the advice not to embark on the tour at this time to prevent further damage. I love you all and thank you for your understanding."
Iggy Azalea ultimately canceled her Great Escape Tour in May 2015 after first postponing it to the fall. At the time she tweeted, "As you may know, the tour is cancelled. I'm so sad and sorry to let my fans down… we'll be back out on the road when the next album is done." Among her other reasons for canceling? She was having a tough time locking in opening acts, needed time to work on new music and, frankly, needed time to breathe. "Mentally, to be honest with you, I just feel I deserve a break," she told Seventeen. "I've been going non-stop for the past two years, nearly every single day… I need a break from everything to just enjoy what I worked so hard for, and I don't really feel like I've had a chance to do that."
Crooner Sam Smith had to have surgery on his vocal chords in 2015, which forced him to cancel two months of tour dates. He was in the midst of the Australian leg of his tour when he broke the news, sharing on Instagram: "I am deeply, deeply saddened to tell my Australian fans, I have to cancel my Australian tour. I have been vocally exhausted for a while now however last night in Sydney I had a small hemorrhage on my vocal cords. The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal chords have healed, otherwise this could become a huge long-term issue. I am so sorry to all who have bought tickets, I truly am. This kills me."
Sorry, Australians! Back in 2014, Lorde had to cancel her entire tour on the continent after she suffered from a severe chest infection. She took to Twitter to address fans, noting that her parents had a hand in the decision (she was 17 at the time), tweeting, "I am so so gutted to have to do this but my parents and my team stepped in telling me I needed a break after being non-stop since the Grammys in january. We will 100% be back for this tour (most likely in November) so don't worry about that."
Like a true rock star, Dave Grohl actually broke his leg on stage in 2015. The Foo Fighters lead singer then had to undergo surgery, which meant the band also had to end their tour early.
Meghan Trainor disappointed fans in December 2016 when she canceled the rest of her tour due to illness and being put on "strict vocal rest" by her doctors for the last two weeks of the year.
