Kenny Chesney Postpones Opening Dates of Chillaxification Tour

Concert cancellations and postponements continues to pour in due to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest to join the growing list is Kenny Chesney, who made the tough decision to postpone the first 11 dates of his 2020 Chillaxification Tour.

“You can’t take risks without really understanding the consequences,” explained Chesney in a press release. “In times of uncertainty, I won’t take chances with those I love. I can’t imagine, as much as we love being out there playing for the fans, being able to do that through the worry our nation is experiencing.

“So, while we wait to see how this terrible virus is going to impact our country, I think it’s only fair to move these first several dates now. We are figuring some of this out as we go, but I know people buy airline tickets, book hotel rooms – and I wanted to try to give everyone as much time to sort that out as possible.”

Of the dates included, seven are stadiums and four are amphitheaters. The press release states that Chesney and his team hope to have more details within six weeks regarding rescheduled dates.

“This is all uncharted,” said Chesney. “I’m like everyone else: watching the news, wondering when we may know something concrete, not sure how this gets transmitted, worried someone I know will catch it. I want to believe this will all be okay in the end; but right now, I don’t feel like this risk to No Shoes Nation is worth it.

“Nobody wants to get out there for these shows more than I do. We’ve started rehearsals; everything is loaded in – and the band sounds great. Music is medicine when your soul or your heart need healing, but I don’t want my music to put anyone at risk. So, I promise: we are going to work as quickly as we can to sort out what we can and can’t do in terms of these dates. We’re going to cross our fingers this pandemic will resolve as some of the experts have suggested, and we hope to kick off the tour May 30th at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, a venue we’ve played since 2005. But mostly, I hope this virus is contained, and the suffering and deaths are kept to the fewest possible people.”

More details are expected in the coming weeks.

POSTPONED DATES
April 18           AT&T Stadium                                   Arlington, Texas
April 25           Miller Park                                          Milwaukee, Wis.
May 2              U.S. Bank Stadium                             Minneapolis, Minn.                
May 7*            iThink Financial Amphitheatre          West Palm Beach, Fla.
May 9              Raymond James Stadium                   Tampa, Fla.
May 13*          BankPlus Amphitheater                      Southaven, Miss.
May 14*          Brandon Amphitheater                       Brandon, Miss.
May 16            Mercedes-Benz Stadium                    Atlanta, Ga.
May 22            Minute Maid Park                               Houston, Texas
May 23            Alamodome                                        San Antonio, Texas
May 28*          Blossom Music Center                       Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
* Michael Franti & Spearhead ONLY