NASHVILLE, Tenn — Country star Garth Brooks is canceling his remaining stadium tour dates in five cities due to rising COVID-19 cases.
Brooks had said weeks ago that he would be reassessing the tour in light of the surge in cases. Tickets will be refunded for shows scheduled in Cincinnati; Charlotte, North Carolina; Baltimore; Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Nashville, Tennessee. He had also planned to play in Seattle but declined to put tickets on sale.
“In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us," Brooks said in a statement on Wednesday. “Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part.”
Ticketmaster will automatically refund anyone who purchased a ticket for the events. The canceled shows include:
- Sept. 18 - Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Sept. 25 - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
- Oct. 2 - M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.
- Oct. 9 - Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
- Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn. (Was postponed but never rescheduled)
Brooks, one of the biggest selling entertainers in music, restarted touring in July and regularly performs in front of 60,000-70,000 people per stadium. Many of his shows sell out well in advance.
Brooks said he is hopeful that he can resume touring before the end of the year and reschedule those tour dates. Before continuing the tour, Brooks said he wanted to make, "sure the environment these people are trading their time and money to put themselves into is not only the best experience ever, but also the safest one we can provide."