Drake’s sudden tour cancellation: Is a secret European tour the real reason?

Drake has blamed “scheduling conflicts” for the shock cancellation of his Australian tour, but with his stage equipment reportedly on its way to Europe, there could be another reason behind the last-minute axing of the remaining dates.

On Wednesday, Canadian rapper Drake abruptly postponed the final four shows of his Anita Max Win tour in Australia and New Zealand, citing “scheduling conflicts” as the reason for the cancellations. The announcement, which came three-quarters of the way through the tour, affected performances in Brisbane (March 4), Sydney (March 7), and Auckland (March 15 and 16). With no clear explanation beyond scheduling, speculation has grown over what really led to the decision.

A closer look at the timeline and logistical challenges raises questions about whether the reasoning is as straightforward as claimed — or if a bigger opportunity has taken priority.

A TIMELINE OF THE ANITA MAX WIN TOUR

Drake’s Australian and New Zealand tour was first announced on November 29, 2024, just 68 days before the first scheduled show in Melbourne on February 2, 2025.

The original tour featured seven dates across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Auckland:

Melbourne – February 9, 10

Sydney – February 16, 17

Brisbane – February 24

Auckland – February 28, March 1

Due to strong demand, additional shows were added:

December 3, 2024:

February 12 – Additional Melbourne show

February 19, 20 – Additional Sydney shows

February 25 – Additional Brisbane show

January 14, 2025:

March 4 – Third Brisbane show

March 7 – Fourth Sydney show

However, the first signs of trouble emerged on January 29, 2025, when Drake rescheduled his Auckland dates from February 28 and March 1 to March 15 and 16, also citing “scheduling conflicts.”

Then, on February 27, just days before his final Brisbane show, the remaining four performances were suddenly postponed.

Rapper Drake picture wearing a Queensland Reds jumper and a Broncos hat while in Queensland. Rapper Drake has cancelled the remainder of his Australia and New Zealand tour Picture Instagram

ARE LOGISTICS REALLY TO BLAME?

While Drake’s team attributes the postponement to “scheduling conflicts,” a TMZ report suggests logistical difficulties played a significant role.

The report claims that “the set for Drake’s concerts is massive and it would have been super difficult to haul around all that equipment between those cities [Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland], which are far apart, in that space of time.”

However, this explanation has been met with scepticism. The tour had already successfully navigated multiple stage relocations between Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane without issue.

The Brisbane show on March 4 would not have required a stage move, yet it was still scrapped.

Additionally, extra Brisbane and Sydney dates were added in January, despite the apparent logistical challenges, raising questions about whether scheduling was truly the main factor behind the cancellations.

The abrupt changes have fuelled speculation that Drake was offered a better opportunity elsewhere — one that outweighed the financial and logistical benefits of finishing the tour in the Pacific region.

His last-minute decision to move the Auckland shows from February 28 – March 1 to mid-March suggests that he may have initially planned to attend another commitment during that time, potentially in North America.

If that’s the case, this opportunity may have been extended — or something even more lucrative came along — leading to the full cancellation of his final four shows.

SHIPPING TO EUROPE: A NEW TOUR IN THE WORKS?

Industry sources told The Courier-Mail that Drake’s stage equipment is being shipped to Europe this week, despite his next confirmed European performance not taking place until July 2025 at London’s Wireless Festival.

The unexpected timing has fuelled speculation that a European tour announcement could be imminent.

Shipping Breakdown: How Long Would It Take?

Transporting a large-scale stage set up from Brisbane to Europe follows a strict timeline:

Sea freight from Brisbane to a major European port (e.g., Rotterdam, Antwerp, Le Havre): 35–45 days

Overland transport to a European capital (London, Paris, Berlin, etc.): 2–5 days

Customs clearance and set up: 1–3 days

If Drake’s equipment ships this week, it would arrive in Europe by late April.

Drake performing in Brisbane. Picture: TikTok

When Could He Announce a European Tour?

Given that Drake only announced his Australian tour 68 days before it began, a similar timeline suggests that he could announce a European tour as soon as next week, with the first dates starting in early to mid-May.

If he follows the pattern of his 2019 European Assassination Vacation tour — which lasted 47 days — he could complete a full European tour before Wireless Festival in July.

DRAKE’S HISTORY OF CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS

This isn’t the first time Drake has cancelled or postponed shows at short notice.

During his It’s All A Blur – Big As What? tour in 2023–24, he postponed or cancelled 10 shows across the U.S. and Canada, often citing vague reasons like “scheduling conflicts”, “production issues”, “logistical difficulties” and “unknown reasons”.

One notable case involved a show that was initially booked for July 1, 2023.

It was later rescheduled to October 9, only to be ultimately cancelled altogether — highlighting a pattern of indefinite postponements leading to full cancellations.

This raises concerns that Drake’s Australian and New Zealand dates may never be rescheduled.

Canadian rapper Drake. Picture: Instagram

WILL DRAKE EVER RETURN TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND?

While Drake’s team insists they are “actively working on rescheduling these dates,” no concrete timeline has been provided — raising doubts about whether the postponed shows will ever take place.

Logistically, returning to Australia and New Zealand for just four performances would be a costly endeavour, requiring the transportation of his massive stage set up and entourage. To justify the expense, he would likely need to schedule at least eight additional shows.

However, with 12 concerts already completed across Australia, it’s unclear whether demand would be strong enough to warrant another round of performances in the near future.

Meanwhile, with his stage equipment already reportedly en route to Europe, all signs point to Drake shifting his focus to his next major tour plans.

For now, fans in Australia and New Zealand remain in limbo. While refunds are available, those hoping for rescheduled dates may have to come to terms with the reality that Drake might not be returning anytime soon — if at all.