Today, Bruce Springsteen announced that he would be postponing the remaining dates of his 2023 tour with the E Street Band, as a result of his ongoing recovery from peptic ulcer disease. The New York Times reported that Springsteen, who turned 74 last week, made this decision on the advice of his doctor, and he indicated that the dates would be rescheduled for 2024.
This news comes a few weeks after Springsteen postponed eight shows for the same reason. In all, the veteran musician postponed 22 concerts because of his illness. In a statement posted to social media, Springsteen expressed gratitude for the support of his fans and stated that he's "on the mend" and looking forward to resuming the tour in 2024.
Springsteen was supposed to play at the Chase Center in San Francisco on December 10th and 12th.
According to Billboard, the postponed dates will be moved to 2024, with an official announcement expected next week. Ticketholders who are unable to attend the new dates will have 30 days to request a refund. The rescheduled concerts will take place at their originally scheduled venues.
The 2023 tour has garnered some of the best reviews of Springsteen's long career, but it has not been without its bumps in the road. Prior to this announcement, Springsteen had already postponed three shows in March and two in August due to unspecified illness. Billboard noted that the most recent leg of the E Street Band's tour began on August 9th at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
This tour marks Springsteen's first since 2017 with the E Street Band. After beginning in Tampa, Florida in February, it has taken Springsteen and the band through various cities across the United States, as well as multiple stops in Europe, including Italy, Germany, Sweden, and Ireland. The tour briefly returned to the US in August before its previous postponement due to Springsteen's illness.
While fans may be understandably disappointed by the news of these further postponements, they also recognize the need to prioritize Springsteen's health and recovery from peptic ulcer disease. As reported on Billboard, Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from the disease over the past few weeks, and he will continue treatment through the rest of the year under the advice of his doctor. Fans can take heart in knowing that Springsteen is focusing on his recovery and aiming to deliver the best possible performances once the tour resumes in 2024.
In the meantime, concertgoers eagerly await the announcement of the new tour dates next week and look forward to the day they can once again experience the iconic live performances that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are known for. As the Boss himself said in the aforementioned statement, he "can't wait to see you all next year."
