BTS and Green Day have called off their upcoming tour dates over fears of the global coronavirus, making them the latest big-name headliners to do so.
BTS was slated to launch their Map of the Soul Tour in April with four dates at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium. However, those gigs have been canceled as the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to sweep through South Korea and nearly four dozen other countries.
“It is unavoidable that the concert must be canceled without further delay,” the K-pop group said in a statement translated from Korean. “Please understand that this decision was made after extensive and careful consideration.”
Refunds will be issued to ticket holders for their Seoul shows. The next dates on BTS’ tour schedule are in California. The group will launch the North American leg of their Map of the Soul outing with a two-night stint at Levi’s Stadium and later hit stadiums in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and more.
Green Day also altered their tour schedule over the health concerns. The punk-rock trio revealed that the Asian leg of their Hella Mega Tour will be postponed. That stretch was set to begin in March and bring the rockers to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and more before they invade North American stadiums this summer.
“We have unfortunately made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming shows in Asia due to health + travel concerns with coronavirus,” Green Day shared on social media. “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon.”
The live event industry across Asian countries has taken a hit with the spread of COVID-19. Artists from Stormzy to Seventeen have canceled tour dates and more concerts in question as the area continues to be affected by the virus.
The coronavirus originated in China but has quickly spread to multiple countries. More than 80,000 cases have been reported worldwide.
