Jimmy Buffett Cancels Major Festival Concert Amidst Health Issues

Jimmy Buffett’s headlining performance at Summerfest 2023 has been canceled. The legendary singer-songwriter, 76, and his Coral Reefer Band was scheduled to perform at the Milwaukee music festival on July 6, but the event’s organizers announced Tuesday that Buffett’s performance has been canceled “due to circumstances out of our control.” In his place, indie pop trio AJR will perform. AJR will also open for Imagine Dragons on July 8, according to event organizers.

Further explanation for Buffett’s cancellation has not been shared, and the musician has not publicly commented on the matter at this time. The news comes just a month after Buffett was hospitalized in Boston “to address some issues that needed immediate attention,” he told fans, adding, “Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you.”

“I also will promise you, that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I’ll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup,” Buffett continued. “You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I would have ever imagined as a toe headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, your amazing years of loyalty, and just remember, ‘NOT YET!’”

Amid his hospitalization, Buffett was forced to cancel his performance at Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. Buffett hasn’t performed since May 6 when he played in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. On May 19, the day before he was released from the hospital, Buffett told his fans in a Facebook post that he would “head home tomorrow for a while, and then will go for a fishing trip with old friends, along with paddling and sailing and get myself back in good shape. Once I am in shape, we will look at the when’s and where’s of shows. I think playing is as therapeutic for me as it is for fans to listen and sing along.” In an update earlier this month, Buffett said he was rehearsing and recording, but he did not indicate when he may return to the stage.

The recent back-to-back cancellations are not the first time Buffett has canceled shows due to health issues. In September 2022, the artist canceled five of his remaining shows for the year after he was hospitalized. His representative shared in a statement at the time, “Due to health issues and brief hospitalization, Jimmy will need to refrain from touring for the rest of the year/ On doctor’s orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal. Jimmy looks forward to getting back on stage next year.”