Usher Postpones First 3 Nights of Past Present Future Tour in Atlanta — UPDATE
UPDATE: Usher has released a statement regarding the injury he suffered that caused him to postpone the opening night of his Past Present Future tour on Wednesday (Aug. 14).
The R&B hitmaker said he suffered a neck injury which will cause him to also postpone the second and third shows slated for Atlanta this weekend. All three dates will be made up on Dec. 9, Dec. 10 and Dec. 12, respectively. The tour will effectively kick off in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 20 if all goes well with Usher’s recovery.
Find his full statement below.
“Earlier this week, I suffered an injury to my neck while rehearsing to provide my fans with the greatest USHER show of all time. My hope was that with physical therapy and medical treatment, I would be able to overcome the injury and be ready for opening night,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, the injury has not healed yet, and my doctors have instructed me not to perform any shows this week. The good news is that the doctors are saying that with appropriate rest and treatment, I should be ready to commence the tour in Washington DC on August 20th.”
The Grammy-winning singer continued: “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 Wage in your city very soon. The Atlanta dates have already been rescheduled at State Farm Arena as follows: August 14 will be rescheduled for December 9. August 16 will be rescheduled for December 10. August 17 will be rescheduled for December 12.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Atlanta fans preparing to see Usher kick off his Past Present Future tour on Wednesday night (Aug. 14) will have to wait as the R&B superstar announced that the opening show at State Farm Arena has been postponed for a later date.
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Usher released a statement to social media on Wednesday hours before he was slated to hit the stage where he cited an ailment causing him to slow down and give his “body a second to rest and heal.”
A rep for the singer relayed to Variety that Usher needed extra “time to heal from an unspecified injury.” Billboard has reached out to Usher’s team for comment.
“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. 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,” he wrote.
The Grammy-winning singer continued: “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. The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you, the fans who have been eagerly waiting for this tour to start. However, I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best. My team will be sharing news of the rescheduled date soon. I can’t wait to celebrate this legacy with you.”
As of press time, the second and third shows from the original trio of Atlanta dates are still on as scheduled, per Ticketmaster.
The Usher: Past Present Future tour is set to rumble through North America with stops slated for Boston, Toronto, NYC, Detroit, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and will wrap up in Chicago with a pair of shows to close out October.
The trek will cap off what’s been a banner year for the 45-year-old hitmaker, who headlined the Super Bowl LXVIII Halftime Show in Las Vegas back in February, released his ninth studio album Coming Home and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards in June.
“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” he said while accepting the honor at the BET Awards.
A new date for Wednesday’s show is yet to be announced. Usher’s next scheduled to take the stage in Atlanta for a pair of shows on Friday (Aug. 16) and Saturday (Aug. 17). See his full statement below.
Michael Saponara
Billboard
