74-year-old rocker Bruce Springsteen has cancelled the remainder of his 2023 International Tour with the E Street Band to recover from peptic ulcer disease and the stress of multiple bouts of COVID this year, according to reports. The shows will be rescheduled for 2024.
Springsteen, who had previously postponed the remainder of his September dates, announced on Wednesday he was cancelling the rest of the tour for 2023 which included fourteen shows in Canada and the western U.S in November and December.
Statement posted to Springsteen’s social media accounts:
(1/5) Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor’s advice. pic.twitter.com/rMgZZsKcfo
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) September 27, 2023
“Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor’s advice. With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be postponed until 2024. Rescheduled dates for each of the 2023 shows, including those postponed earlier this month, will be announced next week, all taking place at their originally scheduled venues. When the new 2024 dates are announced, those unable to attend on the new date who purchased their tickets through official ticketing companies have 30 days to request a refund. All tickets for postponed performances will remain valid for the newly announced dates. Said Springsteen: “Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support. I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.””
The Daily Mail reported Springsteen was worn down by repeated bouts of COVID this year as well as the peptic ulcer disease (excerpt).
DailyMail.com exclusively revealed Springsteen was forced to cancel the shows to avoid ‘something worse’ happening with his health after a spate of recent medical struggles started to ‘take a toll’.
The announcement came just days after COVID forced him to postpone two concerts in Philadelphia.
A source close to Springsteen has revealed how his wife Patti Scialfa, his doctors and his E Street bandmates stepped in to urge him to delay his shows and focus on his recovery over fears that he his health could ‘get worse’ if he doesn’t take the time to recover.
‘Bruce has had a rough couple of years,’ an insider exclusively told Dailymail.com. ‘He’s had COVID several times and even had to pull the plug on shows in August due to getting the latest strain.
‘This was just a couple of weeks ago and it really takes a toll on someone of his age.’
…Another source added to DailyMail.com that Springsteen has been left frustrated at the cancellations, but that his symptoms have made it ‘very uncomfortable’ to perform.
‘Bruce isn’t dying which is the best-case scenario, he isn’t hiding from any other lingering problems, the ulcers that he has are just kicking his a** and making it very uncomfortable to perform the way that he and his fans expect,’ they said.
Springsteen is touring behind two recent albums, a covers set ironically titled Only the Strong Survive and the focused on mortality Letter to You.
The tour started in Tampa on February 1st. U.S. shows in April and August were postponed, with the European leg in spring and summer going off without a hitch.
Watch a video recap of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s 31-date European stadium tour, called “the greatest show on earth” (Billboard).
Springsteen and The E Street Band return to North America for 31 more tour dates this year, running August 9 through December 12. For… pic.twitter.com/74G8VkbMf4
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) August 3, 2023
Springsteen has campaigned for Democratic Party presidential nominees every campaign cycle since 2004 and befriended Barack Obama. Springsteen played a private show for Obama and White House staffers the week before President Trump took office in January 2017.
Springsteen’s tour this year has been largely free of overt political messaging, save for a Ukraine flag themed guitar played by E Street guitarist Steven Van Zandt during the usual show opener No Surrender.
Many Springsteen fans rebelled last year after tickets for the tour went on sale and it was learned that after decades of charging below market rates Springsteen had quietly shifted to Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” scheme that drove up some tickets to the $5,000 range.
Kristinn Taylor
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