Usher Cancels Long-Awaited Australian Arena Shows

Usher has scrapped plans for his long-awaited return to Australia, with all dates on his Past Present Future tour now officially canceled.

The R&B superstar was due to play 12 shows across Melbourne and Sydney in November and December, marking his first Australian tour in nearly 14 years. Tickets for the trek went on sale in May, with strong demand leading promoters to add four extra dates after the initial announcement.

Live Nation confirmed the news Friday (July 4), sharing a brief statement via Ticketek’s website: “The promoter of Usher’s Australian tour regrets to advise that the scheduled shows to take place in November/December will no longer be proceeding.” No reason was given for the cancellation.

The message adds that “all tickets purchased (including refundable ticket purchases, if relevant) will be automatically refunded in full to the original payment method used. Customers do not need to take any action.”

Fans who purchased tickets will automatically receive full refunds, with Ticketek advising customers to allow up to 30 business days for the funds to appear in their accounts.

The Grammy winner first announced the Australian leg of the Past Present Future tour back in March, telling fans he was “bringing the A to the AUS” on Instagram. The trek, which has already seen Usher perform in the U.S. and Europe, was set to kick off Nov. 19 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena before moving to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Dec. 1.

Ticket prices for the shows ranged from approximately AUD $220 for standard seats to AUD $2,792 for the Ultimate Meet and Greet VIP Lounge Experience, sparking debate among fans about the high cost of entry.

Usher’s last tour of Australia was the OMG Tour in 2011. The singer has not publicly commented on the cancellation.