From Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift: What Concerts Have Been Canceled or Rescheduled in 2021?

As parts of the world begin to re-emerge from the pandemic, the entertainment industry has started picking up gradually as well. But the question of whether fan-favorite concerts and festivals will return in 2021 continues to yield no certain answer.

To a large extent, the industry is learning to operate within the mandatory safety regulations, with socially distant concerts becoming a thing. But even as some concerts and festivals appear to be preparing for explosive comebacks this year, others are more cautious.

A few shows have been canceled, and this is no doubt a massive disappointment for music fans everywhere. But in spite of uncertainties, the fact that many concerts have been rescheduled and downsized rather than called off altogether is encouraging — and the first tentative step into a post-pandemic music industry.

The 1975

In January, British pop-rock quartet the 1975 delivered both good and bad news to its fans. The band announced the cancelation of all its 2021 shows out of an abundance of caution. The tour would have kicked off in Europe in February before making its way to the U.S. (Originally, the 1975 was set to perform at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater last June.) “We are really sorry to announce that we have made the decision to cancel all scheduled touring for 2021," the band said in a statement. "These are incredibly difficult times for a lot of people, and until we can be sure that we will be able to play shows in a way that is safe for our fans and crew, we have decided the best course of action is to cancel our touring so that, where possible, everyone can get their tickets refunded sooner rather than later." On the bright side, the band also revealed that fans can expect new music very soon.

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin

In March 2020, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin announced their first-ever co-headlining tour in North America with Sebastian Yatra as their special guest. The first gig was supposed to kick off on September 5 in Phoenix but as coronavirus cases surged in the U.S., all three artists shared via social media that they would be rescheduling the tour to 2021. Iglesias wrote, "It has been way too long and I could not be more thrilled to be getting back on the road and seeing all of you," with Yatra reposting and adding, "See you guys in 2021." The time is finally here as the tour kicks off in April, with the trio performing at American Airlines Arena across two dates on October 22-23.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber's world tour, which was originally planned to begin in May 2020, is set to kick off in summer 2021. However, the rescheduled tour has undergone some changes. According to the singer’s website, the previously postponed 45-date tour has been changed and not all of the cities included in the original tour will be part of this tour. Bieber, who tweeted, “Looking forward to seeing you all when it's safe,” has added 19 new arena dates to the tour, and as it stands he is set to play at American Airlines Arena on July 31.

Niall Horan

Niall Horan who was supposed to embark on his ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ world tour in 2020 announced that he was indefinitely postponing his entire tour due to unprecedented circumstances. Horan was scheduled to stop at the BB&T Center on April 24. A statement on his website from last year read: “A difficult decision, but the well-being of my fans and touring family is always my top priority. Not being able to tour for what is effectively most of 2020 just didn’t feel right and I’m so sorry to all you amazing people who bought tickets. I look forward to being able to bring new music and a new tour for all of my fans around the world in 2021.” Horan had also shared that though he hoped to reschedule the tour dates, but that he doesn’t think “it’s fair on you guys to do so until the dust has settled and things have gone back to normal.” So Horan’s fans need to wait a bit longer in order to catch him live.

Tame Impala

Australian psychedelic act Tame Impala's plans for a summer tour in 2020 on the back of the band's fourth album, The Slow Rush, was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But things are looking up for fans as Kevin Parker has rescheduled the dates to 2021, hitting the road during both the summer and fall this year. With the tour kicking off this July, the band is set to perform at American Airlines Arena on October 18 with tickets sold for the original dates being honored at the new dates and refunds available to those who aren’t able to attend.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, who had initially postponed her Lover Fest shows, announced that she wouldn’t be able to reschedule the shows. Last April, Swift much like many others in the industry, canceled all live appearances and performances for the rest of the year in an effort to prevent the spread of COVD-19. Many fans who hoped for rescheduled dates had hung onto their tickets despite options for refunds. (No Miami date had been announced before the cancelation.) Announcing the disappointing news, Swift has posted a statement on her website that reads: “I love coming on here to tell you good news, or to share a new project with you. It’s not my favorite thing in the world to have to tell you news I’m sad about. I'm so sorry, but I cannot reschedule the shows that we’ve postponed.” She added, “This is an unprecedented pandemic that has changed everyone’s plans and no one knows what the touring landscape is going to look like in the near future. I’m so disappointed that I won’t be able to see you in person as soon as I wanted to. I miss you terribly and can’t wait till we can all safely be at shows together again.”