Boslen takes CBC Musical Nooners stage this Wednesday
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Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
JP Saxe's North American tour cancelled over low ticket sales despite online appeal
A Toronto singer-songwriter who was set to tour North America this fall says he's cancelled his series of concerts over sluggish ticket sales and the high cost of life on the road. JP Saxe took to social media this week, saying that if he didn't sell about 20,000 tickets to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it would likely be cancelled. In a follow-up video, he says 2,000 more tickets were sold, but it wasn't enough to save the tour. Saxe says he's grateful for the extra sales, that tickets will be fully refunded and he's looking to make sure similar cancellations never happen again. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Grammy-nominated musician, best known for his 2019 single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels, was set to play more than 25 dates, including Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver. Story continues below advertisement The cancellation comes as live music faces mass pressure, compounded by a shaky economy, years of inflation and concert ticket prices that — in many cases — have skyrocketed by hundreds of dollars this year. 'Those 2,000 tickets were a reminder … of how wonderful it can be to ask for help and watch a community come together, and this really was the nicest the internet has ever been to me,' he said in a video posted to social media platform TikTok. 'I'm grateful to each one of you who bought a ticket, and I'm really sorry.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
JP Saxe's North American tour cancelled over low ticket sales despite online appeal
TORONTO – A Toronto singer-songwriter who was set to tour North America this fall says he's cancelled his series of concerts over sluggish ticket sales and the high cost of life on the road. JP Saxe took to social media this week, saying that if he didn't sell about 20,000 tickets to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it would likely be cancelled. In a follow-up video, he says 2,000 more tickets were sold, but it wasn't enough to save the tour. Saxe says he's grateful for the extra sales, that tickets will be fully refunded and he's looking to make sure similar cancellations never happen again. The Grammy-nominated musician, best known for his 2019 single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels, was set to play more than 25 dates, including Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver. The cancellation comes as live music faces mass pressure, compounded by a shaky economy, years of inflation and concert ticket prices that — in many cases — have skyrocketed by hundreds of dollars this year. 'Those 2,000 tickets were a reminder … of how wonderful it can be to ask for help and watch a community come together, and this really was the nicest the internet has ever been to me,' he said in a video posted to social media platform TikTok. 'I'm grateful to each one of you who bought a ticket, and I'm really sorry.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Rising costs, slow ticket sales put JP Saxe's North American tour in jeopardy
Published Jul 31, 2025 • 4 minute read JP Saxe is pictured in a video posted on Instagram. Photo by JP Saxe / Instagram Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account JP Saxe was ready to roll across North America this fall on his latest concert tour, but those plans are now hanging by a thread as the Grammy-nominated musician confronts sluggish ticket sales and the soaring cost of life on the road. The Toronto singer-songwriter took to his social media earlier this week with a plea to his fans, saying that if he didn't sell about 20,000 tickets to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it would likely be cancelled. 'I thought we could maybe do it,' he said in a video interview with The Canadian Press. 'It's looking like maybe we can't. And that's sad, but also just part of what it means to be an artist.' While a definitive call hadn't been made on his tour's fate by Wednesday evening, he said the prospects weren't looking good. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Saxe is scheduled to play more than 25 dates across North America, including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, where most venues hold a couple thousand people. Tickets start at around $50, which is on the low end of prices for musicians of his calibre. Live music is under massive pressure compounded by a shaky economy, years of inflation and concert ticket prices that in many cases skyrocketed by hundreds of dollars this year. 'We tried to keep the prices as low as we possibly could,' Saxe said. '(It's) more than a movie ticket but a hell of a lot less than going to the Rogers Centre to see the Weeknd.' Saxe is best known for his 2019 smash pop single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels and since then, he's released a consistent flow of popular tracks, including 'Hey Stupid, I Love You' and 'I Don't Miss You.' But he says activity on streaming platforms doesn't necessarily translate into a profitable touring model. 'My last tour was mostly sold out in every city and we lost about $200,000,' he said. 'Touring is really expensive unless you do it in the most bare bones way, you know, if you want to be in a van with two people, play solo and have no lights. (This time,) we didn't do anything crazy expensive. It was basic stuff, like a bass player.' 'The basics are expensive,' he added. 'A bus is expensive.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Saxe's experience offered rare insight into a corner of the music business for artists who are popular but not among the elite superstars who fill arenas and stadiums. Typically, when tours aren't selling well, musicians bow out by blaming illness or scheduling conflicts. 'Artists don't want to look like they're falling off,' he said. Saxe said that while others advised him against sharing that ticket sales have fallen short, he felt there was no other option but to tell the truth. 'As a general rule, I'm always trying to practice sincerity in failure rather than the facade of success,' he said. 'I think it's really tempting as an artist, or as anyone, to always be projecting that everything is great at all times. And I find that uninteresting and disingenuous.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Like many musicians, Saxe reaped the financial benefits of his deal with a major record label. Often, labels sign new artists with an agreement to cover the costs of their first tours in exchange for a larger share of other facets of their career, such as streaming revenues. Saxe said he is at the end of a three-album deal with his label. As part of it, the label wasn't going to cover this tour, which meant he 'couldn't lose that much money,' as in the past. He said that meant he needed to book larger venues to offset the costs. 'We put so much time and effort … to get it to a place where it would break even,' he said. 'Even if we can do this tour, it won't make money, but we won't lose money. That was kind of the goal.' Saxe said this experience has been 'a reminder of how powerful it can be when you're just transparent about what it looks like to be an artist.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His initial video has racked up 1.5 million views on TikTok and more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. A second one posted on Tuesday showed a crowd singing along to his song 'A Little Bit Yours' with the message: 'I thought it was impossible, but there's a chance you're saving this tour.' Whether his tour goes forward or not, Saxe said it won't much change his approach to his music. 'My goal in the broader sense is to continue to make art in the most transparent way possible,' he said. 'At the end of the day, I didn't get into making music to hide from anyone. It was quite the opposite.' Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Canada Canada Toronto & GTA Tennis World
