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“‘I’m so sorry, but my show ain’t ready … We’ve been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID.’ ”
That was singer Adele asking her fans to go “Easy on Me” in a tearful video that she shared across her social media channels Thursday evening. The 15-time Grammy-winner said she was “gutted” and “really embarrassed” to reveal that her Las Vegas residency set to begin roughly 24 hours later would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Half my crew, half my team are down with COVID, they still are,” she said.
The “Weekends With Adele” residency was set to run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning this Friday, Jan. 21, through April 16. Adele would have performed 24 shows at the 4,100-seat venue, following the release of her fourth album, “30,” which topped the Billboard album chart for six straight weeks last year.
“We’ve been awake for over 30 hours now trying to figure it out, and we’ve run out of time,” Adele said in the emotional clip. “I’m so upset, and I’m really embarrassed and I’m so sorry to everyone who traveled to get here. I’m really, really sorry.”
Some shared their support for the singer, and their understanding that events like this remain at the whim of COVID even as we enter Year 3 of the pandemic.
“I had tickets to see u tomorrow and it’s fine, health will always come first,” wrote one ticket holder on Twitter.
But many fans also expressed anger and disappointment on their own social media accounts, particularly those with tickets for Friday’s opener who learned that the show won’t go on at the last minute. Some fans said they found out that the shows were scrapped while they were already mid-flight on planes to Vegas, and others had arrived in Sin City already.
“I was furious that Adele waited so last minute to make this call,” one ticket holder, Gillian Rowland-Kain, 32, told the BBC. “I recognize it’s not a call any artist wants to make, but she would’ve known yesterday that the show wouldn’t be ready by tomorrow. Her lack of notice is astounding. I’m angry and frustrated.”
What’s more, fans paid between $85 to $12,000 for Adele tickets, with some reportedly dropping $30,000 or more on resale sites. And that’s not factoring in the cost of flights and hotels.
“I traveled all the way from Sydney Australia to see @Adele tomorrow in Vegas,” wrote one. “I spent thousands of dollars on this trip and now she canceled the night before. Very unprofessional and I am heartbroken.”
“I’ve already spent $1200 between airfare, hotel, and the concert tickets. Not to mention vacation time from work,” tweeted another “super bummed” fan. “Trying to decide now on either getting a refund or sitting tight for the new dates.”
Adele said that “all dates will be rescheduled.” Neither Ticketmaster nor StubHub were immediately available for comment. But Ticketmaster is asking people to “hang on to their tickets” for now, the Daily Mail reports, with new dates expected to be scheduled between April and June. The ticket seller will also give refunds if people apply online, according to the Daily Mail.
Caesars Palace tweeted that it understands fans’ disappointment, and stated that those with future hotel reservations for one of Adele’s residency weekends can cancel with a full refund through the website or call center. What’s more, it added that guests with hotel reservations for a Caesars Entertainment hotel in Las Vegas this weekend (on Jan. 21 or 22) may cancel with a full refund by calling 800-313-6640. More information can be found here.
But Adele ticket holders will have to contact their specific airlines for cancelation policies if they already booked flights for one of the canceled shows.
Coronavirus Update: CDC warns unvaccinated seniors about high risk from omicron variant, as U.S. daily death toll tops 2,000
This is certainly not the first concert lineup to be canceled by COVID as variants like omicron and delta have contributed to spikes in cases. The Strokes postponed their New Year’s Eve performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last month, saying “the Omicron variant has thwarted our plans.” The Flaming Lips also nixed ringing in 2022 over concern for “the health and safety of guests, staff, crew and everyone on stage” and postponed their Tennessee shows until February 2022. Rage Against the Machine has also delayed the start of their 2022 Public Service Announcement tour; it will begin July 9 now instead of March 31.
The U.S. daily death toll from COVID-19 has passed 2,000, according to a New York Times tracker. Cases are averaging 735,652 a day, up 21% from two weeks ago, although they are easing in states that were hit early and hard by omicron, including New York.
