Drake’s Australian tour in doubt as rumours of cancellations grow
Drake’s remaining Australian and New Zealand tour dates are reportedly under threat with the Canadian rap superstar’s private jet scheduled to depart Brisbane for Fiji this morning.
NSW
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Speculation is intensifying that Drake may pull the plug on the remainder of his Australian and New Zealand tour, with industry insiders suggesting Tuesday night’s Brisbane show could be his last in the region.
The Canadian rap superstar is scheduled to perform a third Brisbane show on March 4 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, followed by a Sydney show at Qudos Bank Arena on March 7 and two performances in Auckland on March 15 and 16.
However, sources close to the tour have suggested these dates could be scrapped, with an official announcement reportedly imminent.
Adding fuel to the fire, industry insiders told The Courier-Mail that Drake’s elaborate stage equipment — including his signature clear-glass walkway — will be shipped off to Europe this week, leaving no equipment in Australia for his scheduled performances.
Ticketing sites also show the reported cancellations are unlikely to be linked to poor sales, with the 13,500-capacity Brisbane Entertainment Centre on the verge of selling out for the Drake’s final Brisbane show on March 4.
Despite Live Nation denying any cancellations, the Canadian rap superstar’s private Boeing 757 jet is scheduled to depart Brisbane at 5.55am, heading for Nadi Airport in Fiji, where it will land at 11.14am local time, according to flight tracking websites.
The shock development comes after members of Drake’s inner circle reportedly told guests at an exclusive afterparty at The Tax Office in Brisbane on Tuesday night that they were preparing to leave the country “in a few hours.”
While this appears to confirm Drake’s abrupt exit, some within his camp have attempted to downplay cancellation fears, insisting to partygoers that they would “of course be back.”
However, no further details were given on whether the upcoming Brisbane, Sydney, and Auckland shows would still go ahead.
While fans could still purchase general admission and reserved seating for Tuesday night’s show on Ticketek late Tuesday, the only tickets available for the March 4 show were those labelled “accessible”.
Tickets for the Sydney show on March 7 appeared as sold out, while tickets for the two Auckland shows appeared as unavailable on the New Zealand Ticketmaster website.
This has further fuelled cancellation speculation on social media from fans with tickets to Drake’s upcoming Australian and New Zealand shows.
“I have tickets next week in Brisbane, I’ll cry,” a commenter said on TikTok.
Tour promoters Live Nation have denied any cancellations, while those close to the rapper say there has been no chatter within his camp about cutting the tour short.
One source who attended the exclusive afterparty at Brisbane’s Tama Supper Club on Monday night claimed the Grammy winner was instead focused on deciding where to holiday during his week off between shows, with the Whitsundays emerging as a likely getaway.
For now, fans remain in limbo, waiting for an official word from Drake’s team on whether the tour will continue — or if Tuesday night’s show will mark an abrupt end to his Down Under run.
Originally published as Drake’s Australian tour in doubt as rumours of cancellations grow
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