Usher postpones concert hours before tour kickoff in Atlanta

ATLANTA — Usher is postponing his tour opener hours before he was set to take the stage Wednesday.
The singer, who was set to embark on his Past Present Future tour Wednesday night at the State Farm Arena in his hometown of Atlanta, 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.”
He continued: “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.”
On Thursday, Usher also canceled his next two shows, which were also set for Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Friday and Saturday.
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“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.”
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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 singer, 45, ended his Wednesday note with a positive outlook, “I can’t wait to celebrate this legacy with you,” signing it simply “Usher.”
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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,” and wrapped up his critically acclaimed Las Vegas residency with 100 shows.
He announced the tour days before his Super Bowl halftime show 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.
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Usher hit the stage over the summer at the annual Essence Festival of Culture in July, performing hits from his “Confessions” album.
“Anytime that I’ve been able to be a part of the festivities of New Orleans’ all-time famous Essence Festival, it’s always a celebration,” he told the USA TODAY Network at the time. “This year was a little bit more unique because I’m celebrating the 20th anniversary of ‘Confessions.'”
Days before his performance, 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.
In May, organizers for Usher’s Lovers & Friends music festival shared a statement to the official website and to social media hours before the festival was set to start, alerting it was forced to be canceled in an “incredibly heartbreaking decision.”
“Lovers & Friends Festival organizers have been monitoring the weather for several days and proactively preparing for a windy Saturday,” the statement read.
The Las Vegas R&B extravaganza, named after the singer’s 2004 hit song with Ludacris and Lil Jon, was set to be held at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds but could not go on after “the National Weather Service has now issued a High Wind Warning.”