Opinion: Kiwi concert cancellations set a worrying precedent, why are so many artists giving NZ the cold shoulder?

Nelly, Drake, and Morrissey are just some of the high-profile names that have cancelled their NZ gigs.

THREE KEY FACTS

• Drake, The Weeknd and Boyzlife all cancelled or rescheduled their New Zealand shows over the past six months, citing “logistical issues” and “unforeseen circumstances”.
• Kiwi fans are fed up, with many taking to social media to complain, and others struggling to recoup their costs.
• Venues, promoters, hospitality workers, and local opening acts all come off second best when an act cancels.

With high-profile stars regularly making headlines for cancelling their local shows, do we have something to worry about? Herald entertainment reporter (and disappointed fan himself) Mitchell Hageman looks at why this keeps happening and who loses when it does.

“[Insert artist’s name here] cancels show due to ‘scheduling issues’ or ‘unforeseen circumstances’."

These headlines are all too familiar nowadays, and Kiwi concertgoers are left questioning whether they’ll ever see their favourite artists live.

I’ve reported on many of these concert cancellations, and as a keen reviewer and attender of live events, big or small, this all sets my alarm bells off.

Beyond the news headlines, social media ecosystems have also grown around speculation of cancellations and complaints, with distressed ticketholders often taking to Facebook and TikTok to theorise why events were cancelled and chastising the artists because of the decision made.

It’s starting to feel like perhaps a worrying precedent has been set - that Kiwis feel like they can’t trust big-name acts to commit to their scheduled dates - and there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to fix it.

Naturally, the issue raises a few questions for journalists and punters alike.

Why bother putting on a show in the first place? Should artists just tell the truth about why they cancel instead of hiding behind vague explanations?

The Weeknd bailed on his two scheduled shows at Auckland's Eden Park

Who’s snubbed New Zealand?

Nelly, Ski Mask The Slump God, TLC, and The Weeknd are some of the more prominent names who have cancelled their gigs in recent times, often at the very last minute.

Kendrick Lamar notably cancelled one of his Kiwi shows in 2022 due to “scheduling issues,” with people speculating poor ticket sales were the reason.

Childish Gambino also cancelled his January concert earlier this year, but explained to followers that it was due to his recovery from surgery.

The Smiths frontman Morrissey scrapped his only concert in New Zealand just two days prior due to “logistical issues” in 2023, and just a week ago Boyzlife, the musical supergroup formed by Brian McFadden of Westlife and Keith Duffy of Boyzone, cancelled their whole New Zealand leg due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Some bands even make it all the way to New Zealand and then cancel, like Blink 182 did in 2024 for their Christchurch show.

And it’s not just cancellations that irk fans. There are also those artists who didn’t include New Zealand on their tours in the first place, like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish of late.

Scenes like this are becoming all too common on Ticketmaster's site. Photo / Screenshot, Ticketmaster

People can ‘see right through’ explanatory smokescreens

When an act cancels, everyone loses, be it venues, promoters, hospitality workers, local opening acts and, of course, the out-of-pocket fans.

Often it falls on the promoter to inform their patrons of an artist cancellation or postponement, who then convey information about possible refunds or new dates.

Layton Lillas, the president of the New Zealand Promoters Association, shared some insight into the ins and outs of promoting in today’s climate, stressing that the promoter-artist model was a high-trust one.

“They’re putting their trust in the fact that their reputation will be upheld, and you promote the hell out of their name to their demographic,” he told me.

“Similarly, the promoter will usually, when dealing with an artist for the first time, have to pay 100% of the artist’s fee upfront, so we’re taking the punt that the act is good for their side of the agreement”.

Having promoted acts like Toto, Glen Campbell, and ABBA Symphony both in Aotearoa and abroad, Lillas said consumers can see right through the old logistical issues and unforeseen circumstances smokescreens.

“I’ve used this term before in my early days of promoting, and the public see right through it,” he noted.

“Personally, if you put an event on sale six months from now, aside from illness or someone dying they should fulfil their obligation”.

When asked what the vague cancellation notes could mean, Lillas said logistical difficulties often meant “poor budgeting when it came to freight cost or expected times to clear the freight through Customs”.

Unforeseen circumstances could very much mean poor sales.

“I think some folks have been very brave of late stating the facts,” he said. “No one bought tickets, we can’t see an improvement on the horizon, we’re going to bow out”.

Supply and demand: Price hikes and appearance fees hit hard

Don’t get me wrong, I sympathise with promoters and respect the massive job they do. It’s no easy feat to bring an international act here.

Coupled with changing audience behaviours, cost of living, and our isolated location, the task is often monumental.

“The fee the act wants is just the start,” Lillas tells me of the challenges.

“On top in your budgets is everything from production to marketing, hotels, flights etc. Prices have gone up, everyone wants a bigger chunk, and the only thing that’s movable is the ticket price.

“Problem is, if you don’t hit the sweet spot with your ticket price where supply equals demand, your ticket sales will reflect that back to the promoter. I’ve felt this feeling before and it’s not very nice”.

There’s also the age-old transtasman battle, where we miss out on big name acts to Australia.

“A Sydney or Melbourne [date] will generally underwrite a tour that’s including Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and / or Auckland,” Lillas said.

“All of the others are generally sweeteners to the artist, but the promoter of most acts needs Sydney or Melbourne to attract them down under in the first place with a good enough fee offer”.

Success stories are still possible

Clearly, the live events sector is a tough market. Many struggle to understand the full picture simply because they haven’t been in a promoter, or an artist’s, shoes.

The public are no fools, and, as Lillas rightly points out, it’s a big decision for promoters and artists to tell the truth about the reason for a cancellation.

While it’s devastating and concerning about the sheer number of cancellations in New Zealand, I think we can have faith in the knowledge that there are also plenty of success stories out there as well.

Promoters like Frontier, Live Nation, Eccles, Endeavour, Duco and Plus One (as well as other independent promoters) have often managed to snag huge names that have put on extremely memorable shows.

Take Coldplay and Luke Combs for example, two of the biggest touring acts in the world with massive logistical set-ups who dominated Eden Park and pumped millions into the Auckland economy.

Country star Chris Stapleton also just this weekend sold-out Spark Arena for two consecutive nights, Groove Armada headlined the ultimate summer festival, and Synthony will bring vibrancy to Auckland Domain this month.

Rap stars 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube also delivered on their promises in the past, playing to packed out audiences in 2023 with no issues.

Coldplay, who did not cancel, performed live at Eden Park in front of a 50,000 strong crowd during their first of three shows last year. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Even something as simple as going to a local gig at smaller venues like Auckland’s Double Whammy or The Powerstation and Wellington’s Meow Nui slowly helps restore a collective faith in the events sector.

Yes, Drake may not like us, and heaven knows Morrissey made us miserable, but the logical fix would be to counter the concern with solutions and positive energy, focusing on those acts who do give us the time of day.

Lillas said there “ain’t no textbooks,” in the promoting business, so those who ever want to make the leap need to be in it for the right reasons.

“It’s for the dreamers, the entrepreneurs, and those with a passion for the industry,” he said.

Perhaps the next big mind will be able to finally get Oasis to Kiwi shores, preferably without them cancelling.

Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.