Sam Fender Cancels Final Shows of 2024 UK Tour Due to Vocal Cord Injury

Sam Fender Cancels Remaining Tour Dates

Sam Fender has been compelled to cancel the remaining dates of his 2024 tour following a “bleed on his right vocal cord.”

• READ MORE: Sam Fender lives in Leeds: Generation Geordie star safely enters new era
  

The injury arises as the singer, songwriter, and guitarist begins a tour across the UK and Ireland this month. The tour kicked off on December 2nd, with £1 from each ticket sold going to the Music Venue Trust to support grassroots venues.

Health Concerns and Show Cancellations

After performing the first of two scheduled shows at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena last night (December 16), Fender took to social media to announce the cancellation of the remaining 2024 dates. This affects a second night in Glasgow tonight (17) and a performance at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Friday (20).

“Glasgow and Newcastle, as many of you know, I’ve been sick with the flu for a few days now. No matter how compromised my voice is, I did everything I could last night to get it in working order and put on the best show possible,” he stated in a post on X/Twitter.

“Today I had an ENT camera inserted down my throat and unfortunately, I had a hemorrhage on my right vocal cord, which has left me heartbroken. This has been the best tour so far, and all I want to do is get up and sing for you again tonight,” he continued. “Two ENT doctors advised that if I performed tonight, I risked serious damage to my voice, and I was instructed to rest my voice for an extended period until it heals.”

pic.twitter.com/lEYIvUwLAZ

— Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) December 17, 2024

He went on to explain the lengths he took to ensure the tour proceeded smoothly, including avoiding alcohol to protect his voice. “On this tour, I did everything by the book, living like a monk. It’s really unfortunate,” he expressed. “I am very, very sorry to all of you who are traveling tonight. We are working on rescheduling for you all, and more news will come soon.”

What’s Next for Sam Fender

As of now, rescheduled dates for the Glasgow and Newcastle shows have not been confirmed, but UK and European shows set for 2025 will continue as planned.

All concerts celebrate Fender’s highly anticipated third album, People Watching, slated for release on February 21st via Polydor. Pre-order/save here. The album was produced by Fender alongside his bandmates Dean Thompson and Joe Atkinson, and produced by Markus Dravs and War on Drugs’ Adam Granducel.

Fender first hinted at collaborating with the latter in March, sharing studio footage with producers, engineers, and other musicians. In October, he confirmed the new album was completed and “mastered.” This marks his first album since his second one, 2021’s “Seventeen Going Under.”

Having previewed the album in November with its title track, ‘People Watching’, the singer-songwriter has also revealed plans for some of the largest stadium shows in the UK next summer.

The tour will begin with a major show at the London Stadium on June 6, followed by performances at St James’s Park in Newcastle on June 12, 14, and 15. The latter show will see the musician performing at the same 52,000-capacity venue in his hometown back in 2023, with the 2025 booking set to break the record for the most headliners at St James’s Park, previously held by The Rolling Stones.

A complete list of 2025 tour dates can be found here. Go here to check remaining tickets for all shows next year.

In a four-star review of a Fender concert in Leeds earlier this month: NME noted: “It’s not a radical shake-up of the set list, but rather a sense of self-confidence to double down on the robustness of an approach that has served him well.

“While tonight confirms that the People Watching material will have to fight for its place, a successful balance of old and new could propel Sam Fender’s career to unprecedented heights. Glastonbury, anyone?