Drake Cancels Remainder of His Tour

Drake has officially scrapped his remaining Australian and New Zealand performances, confirming widespread speculation that had been building throughout the week. According to news.com.au, the cancellation affects upcoming shows at Brisbane Entertainment Center on March 4 and Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on March 7, along with two New Zealand concerts scheduled for March 15 and 16.

The Canadian rapper’s team cited “scheduling conflicts” as the reason behind the sudden tour termination, telling Rolling Stone they are “actively working on rescheduling these dates along with adding some additional shows.” The statement assured fans that “all tickets for the affected shows will remain valid for the new dates” while also offering refunds for those who prefer not to wait.

Behind-the-scenes information from sources close to the Grammy-winning artist has emerged, shedding light on the unexpected cancellation. The Breakfast Club radio show received insight suggesting the decision stemmed from tour routing inefficiencies. “They just had a routing mess-up towards the end of the tour,” host Loren Lorosa shared from an OVO camp source. “Basically they had Drake doing four shows in 16 days which means he would have been sitting around in Australia doing nothing for 12 days.”

Suspicions about the tour’s premature conclusion intensified when the Courier Mail reported that the rapper’s elaborate stage equipment, including his signature clear walkway featured in every performance, was being shipped to Europe this week. The same outlet noted that flight tracking websites showed Drake’s private jet scheduled to depart Brisbane for Fiji the morning after his most recent show.

While the artist’s representatives maintain the canceled dates were sold out, fans on Reddit have questioned this claim. News.com.au highlighted comments from concertgoers who claimed there were “tons of tickets left” for the remaining shows until they were suddenly marked as unavailable. One fan alleged that the Brisbane show had “at least 20 sections with tickets still available across all price categories” the day before it suddenly showed as completely sold out.

The rapper has not personally addressed the cancellations, which come after completing 10 of his originally planned 14 shows in the region. His Anita Max Win Tour had been generating headlines throughout its Australian run, notably for Drake’s generosity toward fans. During his final Brisbane performance, he offered to cover cancer treatment costs for an attendee’s mother after spotting a sign in the crowd.

“Make some noise for anybody in this world that’s fighting any disease, but especially cancer. That’s real soldiers, real gangsta,” Drake told the audience before making his commitment. “I’m not even going to put a number on it. Whatever you need for your mother’s cancer treatment, I’ma take care of everything for you, I promise you… Anything.”

The tour had already attracted substantial media attention due to various incidents, including what news.com.au described as “hotel drone dramas” and “audience backlash over concert delays.” Drake’s performances also took place against the backdrop of his ongoing feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, who made headlines with his Super Bowl halftime show earlier in February.

Drake’s team concluded their statement with an apology: “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. Drake and the entire team have had an incredible time doing these shows and are excited to return soon. We look forward to sharing the rescheduled dates with you as soon as possible.”