NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Garth Brooks announced the next five concerts in his Stadium Tour have been cancelled due to recent COVID-19 surges, according to a release.
The five concert locations being cancelled are Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on Sept. 18, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 25, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Oct. 2, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Oct. 9 and Nissan Stadium in Nashville, which has not been rescheduled yet.
"In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us. Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part. I have asked the wonderful cities of Cincinnati and Charlotte to wait too long and I don't want to now do that same thing to the great folks in Boston and Baltimore," Brooks said. "As far as Nashville, we are looking for a make up date from the July rain out and though this is not COVID related, to make them wait makes me sad, as well. So, it is with a heavy heart we announce the decision to cancel all 5 shows but with a hopeful heart, we will reschedule and start over when this wave seems to be behind us."
The release said it is refunding approximately 350,000 tickets in the tour's next five cities. Ticketmaster will issue a refund to the original method of payment used at the time of purchase.
"The joy I have seen in everyone's faces as live music returns has been more than worth our constant diligence to maintain safety protocols not only for the fans, but for our band, the crew and the hard working staff in these stadiums. Their dedication to safety for the people who fill those seats has been a miracle to watch and a blessing to receive. I am truly grateful," Brooks said.
A spokesperson for the tour said the team will continue to monitor the virus' impact and watch how schools, sports, and other entertainment entities are handling this stage of the pandemic.
"I'm sincerely hoping we are back on tour before the year's end," said Brooks. "With that said, the most important thing to me is fulfilling my end of the Stadium Tour by making sure every show is doable before putting tickets on sale (that is why we pulled the Seattle on sale) and making 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."