Risks, rising costs and ‘relentless demands’: why so many musicians are cancelling their tours

Sampa the Great, Gang of Youths and Santigold are among a wave of artists who have recently cancelled their tours. Composite: Invision/AP/Alamy

Last month, the US musician Santigold published a long statement to social media announcing the cancellation of her upcoming Holified tour. “As a touring musician, I don’t think anyone anticipated the new reality that awaited us [after the pandemic],” she wrote, citing two years of no income; the skyrocketing cost of gas, flights, and hotels; a flooded market of delayed tours, leading to overbooked venues and audiences; and the risk of infection, alongside general exhaustion and poor mental health.

“I think it’s important for people to know the truth of what it’s like out here for artists,” she continued, “and I don’t believe enough of us are talking about it publicly.”