Pearl Jam have postponed their U.S. Spring Tour 2020 due to the COVID-19

The band announced the tour postponement in a social media post earlier today.

Pearl Jam has postponed their U.S. Spring Tour 2020 due to concerns over the Coronavirus. The 16-date trek in support of the band’s upcoming Gigaton album was scheduled to kick off on March 18 in Toronto, and wrap with a two-date in Oakland April 18 and April 19. Current tickets will be honored for the new dates.

From pearljam.com:

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.

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. We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level. Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid.

It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work. Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.

Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another. Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energized as ever.

We are so sorry…
And deeply upset…

If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.

– Ed & Pearl Jam

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR POSTPONEMENT FAQ

Will tickets purchased for the postponed shows be valid for the rescheduled dates?

Yes. All tickets will be honored for the new show dates. Those who are unable to make the show will have the option of getting their tickets refunded. Refunds will take place at your point of purchase.

When will you have the rescheduled dates?

We are working as fast as we can with all our partners to confirm new dates in a fluid situation. We ask you to please refrain from contacting venues and promoters as they will not have any additional information to provide you.

When did you make the decision to postpone leg 1?

We have been through a lot as a band over the past 30 years and we did not make this decision lightly. Our team worked tirelessly to see if we could keep the tour going. It became clear by Monday afternoon that we would not be able to – in good conscience – head out on the road. Even though our gear was already en route and our crew was on the ground for rehearsals, we made the difficult decision to postpone. We wanted you all to know as soon as we knew so you could make your own plans.

Does anyone in the band have coronavirus?

No. We postponed the tour out of an abundance of caution and concern for our fans, our touring staff, and everyone’s families and communities. We appreciate everyone’s support. We continue to follow the precautionary measures recommended by the King County Health Department and urge everyone to do the same.