The Weeknd was set to kick off his After Hours Till Dawn tour in his hometown of Toronto on Friday night (July 8) at the Rogers Centre but the show was postponed after a widespread network outage at Rogers Communications across the country.
Toronto Blue Jays, who also play at the Rogers Centre, released the statement: “We regret to announce that The Weeknd tour stop at Rogers Centre has been postponed due to service outages impacting venue operations. A new show date will be shared ASAP and tickets will be honoured. We understand how disappointing this is and apologize for the inconvenience.”
We regret to announce that The Weeknd tour stop at Rogers Centre has been postponed due to service outages impacting venue operations. A new show date will be shared ASAP and tickets will be honoured.
We understand how disappointing this is and apologize for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/Et073wz0WZ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 8, 2022
Rogers Communications has offered no explanation for the outage that has caused havoc in the country, how long it is expected to last or how many customers were impacted. Fans were visibly upset at the cancelation which came just hours before the show was supposed to kickstart.
A statement from tour promoter Live Nation said: “The Weeknd was onsite and ready to play but due to the nationwide Rogers network outage The Weeknd show planned for this evening at Rogers Centre will be postponed as the venue’s operations & infrastructure are not possible until full service is back. Please hold on to your ticket. Updates on a new date coming soon.”
Abel also took to Instagram stories to apologize to fans for the inconvenience faced by them. “I’m crushed & heartbroken,” he wrote. “Been at the venue all day but it’s out of our hands because of the Rogers outrage. Operations and safety are compromised and I tried my absolute best. This one hurts the most, and we will make this show happen, but unfortunately not tonight. I know how long you’ve been waiting and how hard a lot of you worked to make it to the show and experience this special moment with me. I can’t wait to see you all.”
Earlier in the day, Drake took to Instagram stories to show the exact place where he heard The Weeknd’s music for the first time.