‘I’m so sad: Taylor Swift announces she’s been forced to cancel all her 2020 concerts amid coronavirus pandemic
Taylor swift announced that her upcoming 2020 tour dates would all be canceled as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
The 30-year-old pop star’s website featured an official statement about the cancellations, while she posted her own note to her social media platforms on Friday.
Though her European dates appear to be canceled for good, she left some hope of rescheduled shows for her fans in the United States and Brazil.
Canceled: Taylor Swift, 30, announced all her 2020 concerts had been canceled, though US and Brazil dates would be rescheduled for 2021; pictured in February
‘I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision,’ Taylor wrote on social media to accompany her website’s official statement.
‘Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us.’
Taylor’s official statement called the pandemic ‘an unprecedented challenge for our global community’ and reiterated calls from government not to hold large public gatherings.
Concertgoers in the North and South America will still be able to see part of her tour when she reschedules this year’s shows for 2021, with new dates promised later this year.
Weighing in: She expressed sadness at the cancellation and urged her fans to commit to quarantining in her statement
World tour: She was set to perform throughout Europe before heading to the Americas
The use of ‘canceled’ in the original statement is important, as it may allow fans to get refunds among shifting ticketing practices.
Ticketmaster, which handles sales for Taylor’s concerts, came under fire last week after it reportedly updated its refund policy to prevent many ticket holders from getting their money back.
The New York Times posted a screenshot showing the original wording, which promised refunds if concerts were postponed, rescheduled or canceled, but on March 14 it was changed to only offer refunds for canceled events.
By officially canceling her dates, rather than just postponing them, the Love What You Made Me Do singer allowed her fans to get their money back.
Fans with tickets to her US and Brazil concerts can request a refund starting May 1
Cash on hand: By officially canceling her dates, rather than just postponing them, the Love What You Made Me Do singer allowed her fans to get their money back; shown in November
Festival tour: Taylor billed her four American shows in Los Angeles and Foxborough, Massachusetts, as Love Fest West and East, with two performance in each city starting in late July; pictured in January
Taylor billed her four American shows in Los Angeles and Foxborough, Massachusetts, as Love Fest West and East, with two performance in each city starting in late July.
The concerts had been billed as Taylor Swift and Friends, and the festival designation implied there would be multiple performances and artists, though the singer had provided few details about the performances.
It was also possible that the LA venue she was set to perform at might not even be completed by the time late July rolled around.
Her concerts were supposed to be the grand opening event at the SoFi Stadium, but Sports Illustrated reported late last month that at least one worker had tested positive for the coronavirus.