UPDATE: In a statement provided to Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Drake’s rep confirmed the surprise cancellation, citing “a scheduling conflict.”
“We are actively working on rescheduling these dates along with adding some additional shows,” the statement reads.
“All tickets for the affected shows will remain valid for the new dates. Refunds will be available for those who prefer, but please note that as these shows are sold out, any refunded tickets will be released for sale.
The status of Drake’s current Australia and New Zealand tour remains up in the air following speculation the rapper is calling off the run early.
As reported by The Daily Telegraph, Drake is rumoured to have finished the ‘Anita Max Win Tour’ on Monday night in Brisbane, despite still having a number of dates to go, including back to back nights at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Saturday, March 15th and Sunday, March 16th, preceded by a Brisbane show on Tuesday, March 4th and an extra Sydney stop on Friday, March 7th.
Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, and New Zealand’s Spark Arena all declined to comment when contacted by Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
On their respective websites, the March 7th date in Sydney has no tickets available to purchase, while any mention of the Brisbane performance on March 4th has been entirely removed.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ has contacted promoters Live Nation for comment.
The tour has already hit major cities, including a rare stop in Perth (Drake’s first WA gig since 2015) plus shows in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
His visit just so happened to line up with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, which doubled as a victory lap in their one-sided feud. Kendrick hit the stage rocking a diamond chain with a lowercase “a” (as in “A minor”) and dropped his Drake-destroying anthem “Not Like Us” in front of 100 million people.
Drake, meanwhile, was making his own headlines. He just dropped a surprise collab album with fellow Canadian PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, marking his first chart-topping record since last year’s feud with Kendrick.
Drake also made the most of his time Down Under. He played a surprise 90-minute set at a Bourke St hotspot, packed with unreleased music and deep cuts for just 100 lucky fans. He also hit up a private crew dinner, then rolled into Maison Batard’s Le Club, Melbourne’s hottest new venue, for a phone-free, all-expenses-paid, ultra-exclusive party—a fever dream for any rap fan.
The ‘Anita Max Win Tour’ gets its name from a viral moment from his December 2023 livestream on Kick, where Drake introduced the alter ego “Anita Max Win” – a play on the gambling expression “I need a max win,” the maximum bonanza paid out on the slots.
