Lights never went up Thursday night for the first of Harry Styles’ planned six-show stand in Chicago.
Only a few hours before the “As It Was” singer was scheduled to play at the United Center, the venue announced that Styles’ opening-night show was being postponed.
“Out of an abundance of caution, tonight’s Harry Styles show on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at United Center has been rescheduled to Monday, October 10, 2022 due to band/crew illness,” the United Center’s official account tweeted Thursday afternoon. “All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date. All additional show dates will play as scheduled. An email from Ticketmaster will be sent directly to ticket holders with more info.”
It is unclear who in the band or crew got sick or what the illness was, but the tour is scheduled to start again Saturday.
Styles has yet to post anything on his social media accounts to provide any clarity about the situation. The Times reached out to Styles’ representatives for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Styles’ passionate Chicago fanbase was in full force days before the scheduled show. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, fans had been camping outside of the United Center since Tuesday in the hopes of getting the best possible general admission floor seats. Officially, the United Center doesn’t allow camping and suggested fans arrive at 9 a.m. the day of the show.
Following the postponement announcement, demoralized fans took to Twitter to express their disbelief and disappointment
“not me driving 8.5 hours to Chicago to see Harry Styles tonight and then it getting rescheduled to Monday about 2 quit my job,” tweeted @ashslaymyers.
@mariquitamijita wrote “we drove all the way to chicago for harry styles tonight and they CANCELLED?? WHY DIDNT YOU CANCEL IN THE MORNING?! [BEFORE] WE DROVE HERE”
@jchaase also expressed frustration with how late fans were notified about the rescheduling, tweeting, “Hey @Ticketmaster you going to be offering refunds for the people who can’t travel to Chicago *again* on Monday that have tickets for tonight’s cancelled @Harry_Styles show? Nice four-hour notice, too.”
“IMAGINE FLYING TO CHICAGO TO SEE HARRY STYLES AND THEN THE CONCERT IS POSTPONED 5 HOURS BEFORE SHOW TIME HAHAHAHA IM FINE IT FINEEEEEE,” wrote @truu_chainz.
“it just started raining in chicago and i’m literally taking this as the city crying because the harry styles concert was cancelled tonight,” @jillyybean16 wrote.
The “Watermelon Sugar” singer will bring his Love On Tour to Los Angeles for a 15-show run at the Kia Forum beginning Oct. 23 and continuing until Nov.15.
The 28-year-old superstar played three sold-out shows at the Forum in November when Times critic Mikael Wood described him as “a kind of woke heartthrob known for his gender-neutral fashion” and “proudly progressive stance” whose music “looks decidedly backward.”
Styles kicked off his pandemic-delayed tour in Las Vegas in September 2021 and has performed sold-out show after sold-out show throughout the United States and Europe since, regaling fans with hits including “Sign of the Times,” “Lights Up,” “Adore You,” “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” and “Daylight.” He also triumphantly headlined the two-weekend Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April.
