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The Volume of Canceled Gigs Grows Louder Than Ever

With Morrissey and Benson Boone’s recent cancellations due to exhaustion and vocal strain respectively, a growing concern in the music industry around how much is too much…

Show Cancellations By Artists Suffering From Physical Strain Is Becoming Increasingly Common

By Jeremy Young

Just a few days ago, Morrissey announced that he was cancelling a couple performances on the Mexico leg of his tour do to “extreme exhaustion.” Shortly thereafter, an announcement came in from the camp of Benson Boone, who at nearly a third Morrissey’s age, also had to cancel his Birmingham show last minute due to the weakened condition of his throat. (I’m trying to make a point that this has nothing to do with an artist’s age.)

Both artists are smack in the middle of some heavy touring, and in a way that all sort of makes sense, doesn’t it? Long hours on the job, lots of global travel, these artists are only human and the human immune system can only take so much… But incidents such as these are nowhere near rare nowadays; in fact, they’re becoming increasingly common.

Perhaps the regularity of artists having to run their bodies into the ground is… not a good thing?

Other notable artists who have canceled shows in 2024-25 due to physical strain

Halsey had to cancel a 2025 date in Bangor, Maine, saying her “voice is just… gone,” after receiving a diagnosis from her doctor that any further strain on her vocal cords may result in permanent damages.

Cody Johnson was forced to cancel performances on his September 2025 tour due to severe upper respiratory illness and sinus infections, which led to him rupturing his ear drum.

Lady Gaga postponed her long-awaited “Mayhem Ball” Miami show just before the doors opened in September 2025, due to vocal strain, noting that “during rehearsal last night and my vocal warmup tonight my voice was extremely strained and both my Dr. and vocal coach have advised me not to go on because of the risk it poses.”

Jenson McRae had to cancel her Toronto show in October 2025 due to extreme vocal strain.

Kelly Clarkson canceled a show during her Las Vegas residency in July 2025 to deal with vocal issues that if over-strained could lead to “serious damage” to her voice.

Rod Stewart had to cancel and reschedule a handful of performances in June 2025 due to an ongoing flu virus. Back in January, Stewart also cancelled three concerts to recover from strep throat and Covid in the span of a week.

In August 2025, country singer Ashley McBryde admitted that she was dealing with injured vocal cords and canceled shows in order to go on “vocal rest.”

Jeff Lynne’s ELO had to cancel (and decommit from rescheduling) what was set up to be the bands’ final show ever, sadly, in July 2025, due to a systemic infection.

In 2024, Pearl Jam was forced to cancel several performances due to band members’ ongoing illnesses.

A note for independent and DIY artists

No, most of us do not tour like Lady Gaga. We don’t expect to be in Jakarta one night, Singapore the next, then belting at the top of our lungs to a sold out Sydney Opera House a day or two later.

But we do tend to organize a lot of our own touring and schedules. And when money’s tight, saying “Yes” to taking on more shows is usually a great way to ensure that the band earns a little bit more in a hard music economy. It seems though the risk of that “Yes” could greatly outweigh its benefits.

Hopefully, understanding the effects of constant touring on one’s body, voice, and mental state, can help independent artists make better decisions about organizing activities not solely around revenue-generating opportunities but what’s best for the longterm health of the performers and crew involved.