Mariah Carey is the latest music star to cancel gigs because of coronavirus and Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary festival in June could also be precarious, it was revealed today.
Cultural events around the globe have been cancelled because of the virus reached pandemic levels, claiming 3,200-plus lives so far, amid warnings large public gathering could help the virus thrive and spread.
Ms Carey was due to appear in Hawaii next week but blamed ‘international travel restrictions’ for pushing the concert back to November – despite no confirmed cases in the US Pacific island state.
Writing on Instagram, Carey said: ‘Aloha Hawaii!! I’m so so sad to have to announce that I’m postponing my show to November. Evolving international travel restrictions force us to consider everyone’s safety and well being.’
American R&B singer and songwriter Khalid, Korean pop group BTS, US rock band Green Day and Canadian-French singer Avril Lavigne have also cancelled dates in Asia.
British rapper Stormzy was due to play in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea in the coming weeks but has delayed the shows until later in the year.
He told fans: ‘I was seriously looking forward to bringing the world tour to Asia and playing some epic sold out shows but due to the ongoing health and travel concerns surrounding the Coronavirus, I’m regrettably having to reschedule this leg of the Tour.’ He added: ‘I promise I’ll be back.’
Fellow BRIT Award winner Mabel is forced to cancel the Italian leg of her tour of the coronavirus-hit nation.
There are also growing concerns among music fans in Britain the virus could stop the five-day Glastonbury Festival in late June, where 200,000 people are expected.
And the London Book Fair at Olympia next week, attended by hundreds of famous authors and thousands of their fans, has been cancelled today.
Mariah Carey is the latest music star to cancel gigs because of coronavirus – posting this message for fans due to see her in Hawaii in a show now axed
Stormzy (pictured performing in Paris last Friday) and singer Mabel (right in Berlin last night) have cancelled tours because of coronavirus
Organisers of the Glastonbury Festival (pictured last year) are watching the spread of the illness and could also have to cancel if it is not under control in the UK
Adrian Coombs, Glastonbury Festival’s Head of Event Operations, said: ‘Glastonbury Festival thoroughly plans each year’s event, and puts in place all necessary measures to protect the public and maximise safety
‘We work closely with all of the relevant agencies, including Public Health England and the NHS, and always review our plans as any circumstances change.
‘With this in mind and with our 2020 Festival still 16 weeks away, we continue to plan and prepare for the event, whilst at the same time closely monitoring developments with the coronavirus situation.’
203,000 people attended 2019’s event at Worthy Farm, though it has been suggested that it could grow even bigger in the future. Lana Del Rey will headline with Sir Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross.
London Marathon bosses are holding crisis talks amid growing fears that next month’s race will be cancelled because of coronavirus.
The number diagnosed with the virus in the UK increased to 51 yesterday — and Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out shelving the marathon. As one of the largest sporting events in the world, involving around 45,000 runners and up to a million spectators on the capital’s streets, the outbreak risks associated with the race on April 26 are being discussed by organisers.
The huge number of spectators and runners at the London Marathon (pictured) could be a toxic mix if the number of coronavirus cases continue to increase
The Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka is due to host the indoor cycling events for the 2020 Games – but could be empty
While no timeframe has been given on a final decision, they cited advice from the government that all mass events are currently being instructed to proceed as normal.
A statement from Hugh Brasher, the London Marathon event director, read: ‘We are monitoring closely the developments relating to the spread of COVID-19 and noting the updates and advice given by the UK Government, World Health Organisation and UK public bodies.’
It emerged yesterday that this summer’s Tokyo Olympics could also be postponed in response to the global crisis. In the first official recognition that the Games may be moved from their July 24-August 9 slot, Japanese Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto said his country’s contract with the International Olympic Committee meant they had the whole of 2020 in which to stage them. Hashimoto said: ‘This could be taken to mean the Games being postponed until later this year.’
The IOC executive board met in Lausanne yesterday and moved to ease concerns, despite the spread of coronavirus from China to more than 60 countries at a cost of more than 3,000 lives so far. An IOC statement read: ‘The IOC encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games.’
Meanwhile in Formula One, Italy-based Ferrari fans will be kept out of Bahrain and Vietnam for races there as a result of coronavirus-based travelling restrictions imposed yesterday.
However, F1 bosses remain adamant those two races will go ahead and are working with authorities in both countries to expedite team personnel — rather than supporters — through the airports on arrival.
As it stands, only the Chinese Grand Prix — scheduled for April 19 — has been postponed.
The first race in Melbourne is set to go ahead as planned a week on Sunday.
Ahead of his show at Milan fashion week on February 24, designer Giorgio Armani warned guests not to attend and opted to live-stream the event to protect guests from attending ‘crowded spaces’.
The London Book Fair involving authors, publishers and readers has been cancelled today
Fears about the virus may now impact events later on in the year, past the two-month potential warning period.
Saudi Arabia has banned foreign pilgrims from entering the kingdom which contains some of Islam’s holiest sites over fears about the virus ahead of Ramadan, which begins in April in the UK.
The London Book Fair, scheduled to take place in Olympia in March, has been cancelled due to coronavirus.
Organisers of the MCM Comic Con London have said they are ‘actively and continuously monitoring’ the outbreak ahead of the large convention in May.
Royal Ascot, which attracts 300,000 people across five days in mid-June, could be impacted.
The Euro 2020 football tournament, which will include some matches such as the final at London’s Wembley stadium, will take place in June and July.