Iconic Swedish pop powerhouse Roxette has officially cancelled the entire North American leg of their highly anticipated 40th-anniversary tour, citing severe logistical challenges and skyrocketing international touring expenses across the United States and Canada.
The 14-city amphitheater run, promoted by Live Nation, was scheduled to kick off this autumn on September 10 at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, with scheduled stops in major markets including Toronto, Montreal, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles. However, ticketholders across North America began receiving automatic cancellation and refund notifications after concert promoters determined that the logistical conditions were no longer financially viable.
Live Nation and Per Gessle Address the Decision
The band formally confirmed the cancellation in an official joint statement released across their social media platforms, writing: "Due to logistics and hugely increased touring costs, Live Nation US has decided to postpone the North American tour. Hope to see you some other time down the road."
Shortly after the announcement, founding guitarist and primary songwriter Per Gessle shared a personal note expressing deep disappointment over the sudden cancellation while shedding light on the promoter's decision-making process.
"Lena, I, and the band are of course disappointed," Gessle stated, referring to Swedish pop star Lena Philipsson, who joined the current live touring lineup alongside Gessle following the loss of original lead vocalist Marie Fredriksson in 2019. "We were really looking forward to this North American tour, and the US is by far our biggest streaming market. This decision was made by Live Nation USA, which they probably based on their own calculations. I hope we can play for our fab fans in the USA and Canada at some point in the near future."
The North American leg was set to feature an ambitious triple-bill billing, with 1980s pop star Taylor Dayne and veteran singer-songwriter Nick Lowe (accompanied by Los Straitjackets) tapped as special guest openers across selected dates.
Highlighting a Broader Industry Touring Crisis
The abrupt cancellation lands during a broader wave of economic strain impacting mid-to-large-scale global touring in 2026. Industry analysts note that while stadium-level "mega-tours" continue to break box office records, mid-tier theater and amphitheater tours have faced unprecedented operational pressure. Recent industry reports highlight that cross-border shipping rates, venue rental fees, gear transport, production crew travel, and tour bus leasing have escalated dramatically since 2019, making international runs increasingly difficult to finance without steep ticket price hikes.
The setback comes during a period of renewed global attention for the Swedish duo. Just days prior to the cancellation announcement, Roxette's timeless 1990 ballad "It Must Have Been Love"—which originally topped the Billboard Hot 100 as part of the Pretty Woman soundtrack—officially crossed one billion views on YouTube, matching its previous milestone of over one billion streams on Spotify.
Despite the North American cancellation, representatives confirmed that Roxette’s scheduled European festival dates and summer stadium shows—including performances in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland—will move forward as planned. Ticketholders for all cancelled North American dates will automatically receive full refunds at their original point of purchase.
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