Usher cancels more concerts due to injury ahead of tour launch

ATLANTA — A day after canceling his tour opener, Usher is postponing the following two shows in Atlanta that had been scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
In a statement released Thursday, the “Confessions” singer cites recovery from an injury as the reason for pushing back the first nearly sold-out Past Present Future tour dates in his hometown.
“Earlier this week, I suffered an injury to my neck while rehearsing to provide my fans with the greatest USHER show of all time,” he wrote Thursday in a message shared to social media. “My hope was that with physical therapy and medical treatment, I would be able to overcome the injury and be ready for opening night. Unfortunately, the injury has not healed yet, and my doctors have instructed me not to perform any shows this week.”
ORIGINAL STORY:Usher concert postponed hours before tour opener in Atlanta
Usher then revealed “the good news is that the doctors are saying that with appropriate rest and treatment, I should be ready to commence the tour” at the next scheduled stop in Washington, D.C., Aug. 20.
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“I love my fans and thank you for understanding that this injury must be healed so that I can give you the 100% excellence that you expect from an USHER show and that I will be on stage in your city very soon,” he wrote.
The slate of Atlanta shows set for the State Farm Arena will be rescheduled for dates in December, Usher said in his Thursday statement.
The Aug. 14 show will be rescheduled for Dec. 9, Aug. 16 concert on Dec. 10 and the Aug. 17 performance on Dec. 12.
His next shows are set for Washington, D.C., on Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 at Capital One Arena.
The tour is set to be the culmination of a landmark few years for Usher, who rocked his 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performance in February, days after releasing his ninth solo studio album, “Coming Home.” The halftime headliner wrapped his critically acclaimed Las Vegas residency with 100 shows in December.
He announced the tour days before his Super Bowl outing, originally releasing 24 dates in North America before expanding to 58 shows through November. The tour is set to pick back up in Europe in 2025, bookended in London from March to May.
On Wednesday hours before he was set to embark on his tour Wednesday night at the State Farm Arena in his hometown of Atlanta, the singer pulled the plug on the first show after dealing with physical pain in the lead up to the show.
“For my 30-plus year career, 100% of my blood, sweat and tears has gone into putting on the best performance and creating a memorable experience for my fans,” Usher wrote in a statement shared to social media Wednesday. “I have every intention of doing that for this tour as well which is why I have to postpone tonight’s show and reschedule it for a later date to give my body a second to rest and heal. You’re still going to get a bit of the past, some of the present and a unique look into the future on the rescheduled date but you’ll also be getting 100% of me.”
Usher hit the stage over the summer at the annual Essence Festival of Culture in July, performing hits from his “Confessions” album for its 20th anniversary. Days before, he stepped onto the BET Awards stage to receive the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award following a musical tribute performed by Keke Palmer, Chloë, Coco Jones and more.
Usher’s Lovers & Friendsfestival canceled, organizers cites Las Vegas weather concerns
In May, organizers for Usher’s Lovers & Friends music festival made the “incredibly heartbreaking decision” to cancel hours before the festival was set to start, due to high wind warnings from the National Weather Service.
“Following advice from the National Weather Service and in consultation with local public officials, we must make the safest decision for our fans, artists, and staff, and cancel tomorrow’s Lovers & Friends Festival,” the statement read.