The National have canceled two upcoming concerts in Tokyo as concerns about the spread of coronavirus continue to mount.
Although the band didn’t mention the virus by name in a note announcing the decision, they said they were calling off their March 17th and 18th gigs “in the interest of public safety.” Ticket refunds will be available at the point of purchase from March 3rd through March 31st.
“We look forward to returning in the future and performing for our friends in Japan,” the National said.
Much to our disappointment, in the interest of public safety our March 17+18 dates in Tokyo have been cancelled. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase from March 3 to March 31, 2020.
We look forward to returning in the future and performing for our friends in Japan. pic.twitter.com/VHS6h0Y600
— The National (@TheNational) March 2, 2020
The National are the latest act to cancel shows in Asia as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, Green Day postponed their Asian tour, while BTS nixed several hometown shows in Seoul, South Korea. Prior to that Stormzy postponed five scheduled shows in Asia, while New Order and Khalid have also called off gigs in the region.
While the increasing severity of the outbreak has finally prompted more Western acts to cancel shows, the coronavirus has had a much larger impact on top Asian acts. Among the artists to cancel shows are major K-pop acts like Taeyeon, Winner, NCT, and GOT7, as well as Cantopop superstar Andy Lau.
