Following moves by Stevie Nicks, Garth Brooks and others, Nine Inch Nails announced on Thursday that they have cancelled all concert appearances for 2021. The group was scheduled to begin a series of dates in September and November in Cleveland on September 21.
“It is with great regret that we are cancelling all NIN appearances for the remainder of the year,” the group said in a statement posted on its social media accounts. “When originally planned, these shows were intended to be a cathartic and celebratory return to live music. However, with each passing day it’s becoming more appearance we’re not at that place yet.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment and look forward to seeing you again when the time is right.”
Ticket buyers for the September 21 and 23 shows in Cleveland, please refer to your point of purchase for ticket refund information. pic.twitter.com/XYboGA7FBw
— nine inch nails (@nineinchnails) August 19, 2021
The group’s next scheduled date is at Hellfest in June of next year. No details on refunds or rescheduling were immediately available on the Nine Inch Nails official website, although information for the Cleveland dates were posted on social media; it seems likely that the others will be posted in short order.
While many artists and promoters rushed to launch or resume tours that had been planned for 2020, in recent days many artists have been calling them off, while others, such as the Rolling Stones’ fall U.S. tour and festivals like Tennessee’s Bonnaroo and New York’s Governors Ball, are moving ahead with caution.
Nine Inch Nails’ announcement comes just a day after a similar one from country superstar Garth Brooks, who was five dates into a resumed stadium tour. The performer said refunds will be offered on the approximately 350,000 tickets that were sold for stadium gigs in five cities.
Brooks had previously indicated that he was rethinking upcoming dates, in light of spiking COVID rates.
“In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us,” Brooks said in a statement. “Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part.”
He left open the possibility that he might schedule some new dates by the end of the year, but his reps say all the shows that were now on the books will have refunds automatically processed through Ticketmaster to the original form of payment, rather than postponing the concerts indefinitely and leaving ticketholders on the hook.