Mike Colucci; ABC/Eric McCandless
The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the concert industry.
Following New York governor Andrew Cuomo‘s announcement that gatherings of no more than 500 people will be allowed starting Friday at 5 p.m., Billy Joel has now moved his upcoming Madison Square Garden residency concerts to the fall. The Piano Man was due to perform at the fabled arena on March 19 and April 10.
Those dates will now take place September 26 and October 11, respectively. All tickets for the original dates will be honored for the new shows.
Meanwhile, Cher has called off her concert in Oklahoma City scheduled for tonight and rescheduled a bunch of additional tour dates.
In a statement, she said, “I’m heartbroken, but the health of my fans and my touring family comes first. The shows have been really special but, nothing is more important than everybody’s safety. I’m excited to see everyone when we’re back out on the road.”
Tickets will be honored for the new dates; refunds can be received at the point of purchase. The only show that isn’t being rescheduled is a March 18 show in Birmingham, Alabama. Those tickets will be automatically refunded.
The rescheduled dates will now begin September 8 in Tampa, Florida, and run through a December 5 concert in Miami. Other markets affected include Charleston, South Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; Boise, Idaho; Billings, Montana; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Wichita, Kansas; and Sacramento, California.