Coronavirus fears have forced Pearl Jam to postpone the North American leg of their Gigaton tour
Pearl Jam have been forced to postpone the upcoming North American leg of their Gigaton tour due to fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement was made last night on Instagram in a message from frontman Eddie Vedder.
"As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better," says Eddie.
"So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives.
"Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy... We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.
"So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements... This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date."
He goes on to explain that despite working hard with management and associates to find an alternative solution, the level of risk to the audience is "simply too high for our comfort level".
Read the full message below.
There has been no word on potential postponement of Pearl Jam's European tour, which kicks off in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 23, and includes a huge headline show in London's Hyde Park on July 10.
Pearl Jam's upcoming album Gigaton will be released on March 27 via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records.
“Making this record was a long journey,” says guitarist Mike McCready. “It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption.
"Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times."
Following the postponement of the North American tour in March and April, here are all the shows Pearl Jamp have lined up. Get your UK tickets here.
Pearl Jam tour 2020
June
23 Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
25 Berlin Waldbuhne, Germany
27 Stockholm Lollapalooza Festival, Sweden
29 Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
July
02 Werchter Rock Werchter Festival, Belgium
05 Imola Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy
07 Vienna Wiener Stadhalle, Austria
10 London American Express presents BST Hyde Park, UK
13 Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
15 Budapest Budapest Arena, Hungary
17 Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
19 Paris Lollapalooza Festival, France
22 Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
