Fans who purchased tickets to see The Weeknd and held on to them through a series of COVID-related postponements received some bad news today, according to the artist. The Weeknd announced on Twitter that all existing tour dates would be canceled in order to make room for a transition from arena stops to stadium appearances. It will be announced at a later date when the stadium tour will take place.
“Tour dates have been rescheduled and will begin in the summer of 2022,” reads the tweet that broke the news, which was posted early Monday morning. An accompanying graphic promoted the After Hours til Dawn stadium tour, which is rumored to be the subject of a forthcoming announcement.
Tour dates are moving and will commence in the summer 2022 pic.twitter.com/AgeWSy9k4d
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) October 18, 2021
“The tour dates have been rescheduled and will begin in the summer of 2022,” according to a second image included in the tweet. Given the limitations of arenas and the demand for more shows, I want to do something bigger and more special for you, and that requires the use of a large venue. Current tickets will be automatically refunded, and all current ticket holders will be given first priority when purchasing tickets for the stadium shows when they become available. “We will announce new dates soon.”
The After Hours Tour, which was originally scheduled to begin in 2020, was postponed to the summer of 2021 in March 2020 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, which disrupted all live entertainment around the world in the first few weeks of March. Fans were, of course, advised to hold onto their tickets for the rescheduled dates – and were told the same thing when it was decided to push the start of the tour back yet another month, this time to the first month of 2022, as well. People who participated, however, have nothing to show for their efforts, with the exception of the theoretical possibility of obtaining tickets to the stadium dates as soon as they are announced (and if they are able to get good seats at the new venues, and at what price, remains very much to be seen.)
Fans who were impacted by the cancellation, who effectively provided tour promoters with an interest-free loan for a number of years, expressed their disappointment in a thread that appeared beneath the cancellation announcement on Twitter.
I HAD GOOD SEATS AND HAVE BEEN HOLDING ONTO THESE TICKETS FOR TWO YEARS?! SAY SIKE RN pic.twitter.com/NdOC3fvNTn
— julie (@jules97xx) October 18, 2021
As the reopening of the COVID continues to unfold, The Weeknd has become the latest artist to make fans wait long periods of time before canceling existing tour dates in order to move them to larger venues. Fans of Billie Eilish were treated to it earlier this year – and were met with significantly higher ticket prices for the new shows. It was only recently that BTS fans had a similar experience, when they discovered a buggy, infuriating sales process for the group's four-show run in California, which included a presale that was only available to former ticket purchasers who had their orders canceled due to COVID.
It remains to be seen whether or not the experience will be the same after this clean slate is applied. Due to the fact that the entire tour had presale access to only four rescheduled dates, it was clear that BTS had a uniquely funneled demand situation. Once The Weeknd announces the new tour, we'll provide readers with any additional information we have.
