First, Justin Bieber postponed his June concert in Toronto, then The Weeknd was sidelined by the Rogers network outage a few weeks later. Shawn Mendes pulled out of dates at the Scotiabank Arena several days before showtime, while the New Kids of the Block scrapped an appearance one week before.

Concerts are roaring back after two years of pandemic restrictions in Canada, but for music fans who often travel from afar, the triumphant return is anything but certain. Some of the music industryB次元官网网址檚 biggest artists have pulled out of Canadian shows within days B次元官网网址� sometimes hours B次元官网网址� of start time, leaving ticket holders who travelled a good distance with flight and hotel bills that often canB次元官网网址檛 be refunded.

Usually, the circumstances have been outside of the performerB次元官网网址檚 control B次元官网网址� ranging from illness to technical hurdles B次元官网网址� yet concertgoers whoB次元官网网址檝e forked out big bucks for a night that doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen say the sting can linger.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e essentially making an investment and hoping for a payoff,B次元官网网址� said Jill Krajewski, a culture writer based in Toronto who has scaled back on attending shows since the start of the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a lottery ticket.B次元官网网址�

Postponements and cancellations are nothing new in the concert industry, but as ticket prices spike, the cost of gas and food soar from inflation, and promoters work hard to get people back in venues, some fans say one negative experience could affect whether they consider going to another show any time soon, especially one outside their home city.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a debate Tracy Smith faces next time she considers buying tickets.

Earlier this month, she flew to Toronto from Atlanta in hopes of seeing The Weeknd launch his After Hours til Dawn world tour in his hometown. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until she was standing in line to get inside the stadium that she learned, amid a haze of confusion, that the show couldnB次元官网网址檛 move forward because of the Rogers network failure.

B次元官网网址淣obody really knew what was going on,B次元官网网址� she recalled. B次元官网网址淭he lines were getting longer around the block.B次元官网网址�

The concert tickets for herself and her daughter cost US$800 in total, while she says a flight and hotel bundle came to another $2,800. The tickets are refundable, but Smith isnB次元官网网址檛 getting the rest of her expenses back since the cancellation happened on the day of the event.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 what bothers her the most, she said. Smith stayed at the hotel in the Rogers Centre, but because The Weeknd cancelled an hour before showtime she had already checked in. SheB次元官网网址檚 contacted Rogers to ask for at least a partial refund or credit B次元官网网址� arguing their network failure cost her money while she stayed on their premises B次元官网网址� but she said the company hasnB次元官网网址檛 answered her.

B次元官网网址淚t caused tears,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淎nd it makes me want to travel less to shows.B次元官网网址�

Experiences like that are common at major concert hubs across the country which draw in superfans and families from other provinces, or in The WeekndB次元官网网址檚 case, as far away as Europe and Australia.

Eric Alper, a music publicist and industry player, said the cumulative attention from cancellations isnB次元官网网址檛 helping an industry thatB次元官网网址檚 still trying to get back on its feet.

B次元官网网址淔rom a fan perspective, there is a bit of a bad taste in somebodyB次元官网网址檚 mouth with the constant cancellations,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 just hear about the cancellations in Toronto, or in whatever city theyB次元官网网址檙e in, theyB次元官网网址檙e hearing about cancellations in Barcelona, Paris and the States through reading about it on the internet. All of that has to be consumed into somebodyB次元官网网址檚 mind and make the issue a lot bigger than three or four shows.B次元官网网址�

Nicholas Li, who monitors consumer habits as an assistant professor of economics at Toronto Metropolitan University, is less convinced that trouble lies ahead for concert organizers.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 certainly sympathetic to people who find the whole experience to be sort of infuriating; one thing consumers donB次元官网网址檛 like is tremendous uncertainty,B次元官网网址� he said.

But he added: B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 so much pent-up demand that (itB次元官网网址檚) less of a concern people are going to be turned off by the experience of an expensive show cancellation.B次元官网网址�

Alper isnB次元官网网址檛 so certain that bad experiences this year wonB次元官网网址檛 lead to problems in the future.

He suggested that 2023 could go B次元官网网址渆ither one of two waysB次元官网网址滲次元官网网址� fans may return in droves for live spectacles or demonstrate a waning interest in uncertain events.

He points to recent concerts heB次元官网网址檚 worked on that he says were B次元官网网址渟old outB次元官网网址� ahead of time but saw only 70 per cent of ticket holders show up on the night.

Ticketmaster was slammed in 2020 for changing its policy to no longer offer refunds on postponed concerts. The B次元官网网址渉assleB次元官网网址� and uncertainty of that experience hasnB次元官网网址檛 sat well with some consumers and Alper supposed it could impact future ticket tales.

B次元官网网址淔or some people, maybe a (rescheduled concert) date doesnB次元官网网址檛 work out for them B次元官网网址� their financial situations have changed drastically or they mightB次元官网网址檝e been laid off,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淢aybe theyB次元官网网址檇 rather have their $1,000 back right now. And I think itB次元官网网址檚 only fair that they get it.B次元官网网址�

In volatile economic times, itB次元官网网址檚 an open question whether the concert industry can afford more knocks to its reputation.

A short-term study by market research company Ipsos released last week said that Canadians anticipate pulling back on entertainment spending as inflation reaches a 39-year high.

The research found that 25 per cent of Generation X consumers say they are limiting their entertainment activities, compared to 15 per cent of Boomers.

Looking at spending habits in August, both medium- and high-income Canadians say they plan to reduce their entertainment expenses outside the home B次元官网网址� at events such as cinemas and concerts B次元官网网址� by 21 per cent.

With such uncertainty, Krajewski says sheB次元官网网址檚 thinking of the musicians who are trying to answer the safety of their fans, the business interests of their record labels who want them back on the road and their own need to pay the bills.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e doing the best they can in a very precarious time to be travelling, let alone singing indoors,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淓veryone is rolling the dice right now to try and have a good time. Be gracious if it doesnB次元官网网址檛 work out.B次元官网网址�

David Friend, The Canadian Press

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