Lewis Capaldi cancels New Zealand shows, rest of 2023 world tour: ‘I’m so incredibly sorry’

Lewis Capaldi has confirmed his New Zealand shows are no longer going ahead, just weeks before he was set to perform in Auckland and Wellington. 

The Scottish singer was set to take to the stage in Auckland on July 18, followed by a show in the capital on July 19, but after struggling through his Glastonbury set over the weekend, he’s now revealed that he’s been forced to cancel all his upcoming shows to focus on his health. 

Capaldi told fans in an emotional statement shared on his Instagram page tonight that while the news probably didn’t come as a surprise, he was “very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future”. 

“I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped 3 weeks away would sort me out,” he continued. 

“But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.” 

Capaldi thanked his family, friends, medical professionals and his fans “who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more so during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever. 

“I’m so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve,” he added.  

“Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.” 

Lewis Capaldi performs at Glastonbury on June 24. Photo / Getty Images

Promoter Live Nation confirmed the Auckland and Wellington shows would not be going ahead, adding in a statement that refunds would be automatically processed for everyone who had purchased a ticket. 

“We’re sorry for any disappointment caused. Thank you very much for your patience,” the statement continued. 

Earlier this week, Kiwi fans realised Capaldi’s New Zealand shows were in doubt after seeing things take an emotional turn during the artist’s set at Glastonbury. 

Battling through losing his voice and a great deal of tics, a symptom of his Tourette’s syndrome, the star profusely apologised to the crowd before revealing he planned to take some more time off to allow himself time to “rest and recover”. 

During the set, the star told fans, “I wanted to come back and do Glasto because it’s so incredible, so I just wanna thank you for coming out and watching us. I was s*** scared but you’ve really made me feel at ease. I’m really sorry — I hope the Eavises will have me back even though it’s been a bit of a s*** show.” 

He added, “I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break for the next few weeks. You might not see me even for the rest of the year, but when I do come back and I do see you, I hope you’re up for watching.” 

His fans are applauding his decision to put his health first and take care of himself. 

It comes after he revealed earlier this week that he was cancelling upcoming shows in Glasgow, Dublin, London and Norway, writing “This is a really difficult message, and one that hurts me a lot to have to type, but I’m really sorry to say that I’m going to have to cancel all commitments from now until I play Glastonbury on June 24th.” 

He went on to say he needed time to “rest and recover” and empathetically said “I know many of you will have spent money on travel or hotels, which I appreciate more than ever with how difficult things are economically at the moment, so I’m extremely sorry for the impact this will have. The fact you’re willing to come out and spend your time, money and love on these shows is beyond comprehension and I feel incredibly lucky.” 

He signed off by saying, “I take none of this for granted and can’t wait to be back doing it again.” 

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.