Usher CANCELS Australia tour: Fans heartbroken as singer axes shows with 'no explanation'
The multi-platinum artist had planned to bring his globetrotting Past Present Future tour Down Under for 12 shows - six at Melbourne 's Rod Laver Arena and six at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
However, fans were left heartbroken on Friday to find an email from Ticketek announcing the string of shows Down Under would not go ahead, with no explanation why.
'The promoter of USHER's Australian Tour regrets to advise that the scheduled November/December shows, will no longer be proceeding,' the email read.
'All purchased tickets will receive a full refund.'
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The tour would have been Usher's first headlining tour Down Under in more than a decade.
His last headlining run was back in 2011, on his OMG tour.
The singer was last in the country back in 2018, performing alongside the likes of Salt-N-Pepa, T-Pain and Naughty By Nature for the RNB Fridays Live tour.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted promoter Live Nation for comment.
Usher's tour, which kicked off in the US back in August last year, has since jetted to Europe and the UK.
Usher took to Instagram in May to make the announcement, sharing a compilation video of some of the best tour moments.
Fans were quick to express their excitement over the announcement with the likes of, 'I'm so excited, I'm headed to Australia'.
Others, who had already witnessed the tour first-hand, admitted how excited they were for Australian fans.
However, fans were left heartbroken on Friday to find an email from Ticketek announcing the string of shows Down Under will not go ahead, with no explanation why
'They in for a treat,' one fan wrote.
'A time was HAD at his London show I had an amazing time!'
However, many were singing a different tune when tickets went on sale, with fans taking to social media to complain about the sky-high ticket prices.
Triggering the outrage was a video shared to TikTok which revealed that Usher's 'Ultimate Meet and Greet VIP Lounge Experience' would set back concertgoers an eye-watering $2792.85.
'That's almost $3000! What the actual eff,' TikTokker Jacinda Chenelle said in her clip.
'For context, I have been with Taylor Swift and hung out with her backstage on multiple tours over the years.
'And do you know how much she charges? Zero dollars. Come on, almost $3,000 Australian. Usher babes you're not in your prime anymore.'
For Taylor Swift's Australian Eras Tour in 2024, VIP packages ranged from $349.99 to $1249.90, depending on the included benefits and did not include meet and greet opportunities.
However, the pop singer does not usually offer paid meet and greets at her concerts and instead has her team select fans from the crowd to meet her backstage after the show.
More than 100 TikTok users commented on the post, many of them disgruntled Usher fans.
'This is absolutely ridiculous but I would very much pay this for Billie Eilish,' complained one person on the thread.
'That's absolutely insane,' said another fan, who added, 'I've been a fan since day one and I wouldn't even pay that to see him.'
'One would think for that price you'd get to spend a night with him,' joked another.
The Ultimate VIP Experience was to include one reserved seat ticket, an individual meet and greet, a photo opportunity and an invitation to a 90-minute pre-show VIP lounge.
A welcome cocktail was also included, as well as complimentary beer, wine, soft drink and light canapés.
One fan also complained about the cost of the cheaper tickets for Usher's shows in Australia.
'The prices for the tour in general is absolutely ridiculous, I was going to take my mum but 600+ for two people is absurd,' they said.
Usher's promoters were offering a wide range of tickets, including $530.05 for premium reserve seating and $203.80 for B reserve seating.
Other ticket prices, detailed on the Ticketek website, included a seat for $285.40 or $224.20.
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