Taylor Swift cancels all her shows for 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic

Swift expressed her sorrow to fans, as tour dates are rescheduled to 2021

Singer Taylor Swift has announced all her 2020 concerts are now cancelled. AP

Taylor Swift has cancelled all her tour dates for the remainder of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The US singer's team announced the news in a statement on Friday, saying the "safety and wellbeing of fans should always be the top priority".

"Health organisations and governments around the world have strongly discouraged large public gatherings for an undetermined period of time,” the statement read.

Explaining that Swift's live events will be rescheduled for new dates in 2021, the statement said the decision had been made following the cancellations of other large-scale events around the world, "and upon direction from health officials in an effort to keep fans safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19".

The singer then took to Twitter to express her sorrow to her fans.

“I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision. Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us,” she said.

The  affected shows were to support Swift's 2019 album Lover, and included the US and Brazil leg of her tour, as well as her much-touted two-day "Lover Fests".

Swift’s Lover Fest West was set to take place on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 in Los Angeles, while Lover Fest East was scheduled for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Swift had already called off a number of international appearances, including a headline slot at Glastonbury, the British Summer Time's concert in Hyde Park, and nine other European festival dates.

With no hint yet when the dates may be rescheduled to, Swift's team advised that "tickets held for each of those shows will transfer to a new show date without action on the part of ticket holders," adding that those wanting a refund should contact the ticket vendor directly from Friday, May 1.

“Thank you so much for understanding. We look forward to seeing you all, happy and healthy, in the future.”

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