Red Hot Chili Peppers Back out of Major Awards Show Performance

The Red Hot Chili Peppers will not perform at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday. The awards show announced Wednesday night that the band – consisting of co-founders Anthony Kiedis, Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante – were forced to cancel their planned performance due to "unforeseen circumstances." Further details were not provided.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were first confirmed to be on the roster of performers at this year's show in mid-April. The performance, coming fresh off the release of their 12th studio album Unlimited Love, was set to mark the band's first performance on the BBMAs since 1999, when they sang "Scar Tissue" and, with Snoop Dogg, "Red Hot Mama." Although it is unclear why the band is no longer able to take the stage Sunday night, it was confirmed the band's summer tour is scheduled to go on as planned. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are also scheduled to headline the Austin City Limits Festival in October.

After news dropped of the band's canceled performance, the Billboard Music Awards announced that Machine Gun Kelly and the country duo Dan + Shay have been tapped to perform Sunday night. The evening will mark Kelly's performance debut on the BBMAs. Both Kelly and Dan + Shay are BBMA finalists this year, with Kelly nominated for top rock artist, an award he won last year, and Dan + Shay up for top country duo/group, an award they won in 2019.

Kelly and Dan + Shay join an impressive lineup of performers that includes, among others, Morgan Wallen, Florence + the Machine, Maxwell, and Silk Sonic. The awards show announced Monday that Becky G, Ed Sheeran, and Elle King and Miranda Lambert, who are set to perform their duet "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)," are also tapped to perform. "Sicko Mode" rapper Travis Scott will also perform, marking his first awards show performance and first televised performance since the Astroworld festival tragedy in November that left 10 dead and hundreds injured.

The 2022 Billboard Music Awards are set to broadcast live the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

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