Live Nation pulls the plug on Roxette's 40th anniversary tour

Live Nation canceled Roxette's 40th anniversary North American tour on July 25, wiping out every US and Canada date and triggering refunds to ticketholders, NME reported. A statement on the Swedish pop-rock band's social media read: "Due to logistics and hugely increased touring costs, Live Nation US has decided to postpone the Northamerican tour." It added, "Hope to see you some other time down the road."

Founder and co-frontman Per Gessle said the decision came from Live Nation, not the band. "We were really looking forward to this northamerican tour and US is by far our biggest streaming market," he told fans, adding that the band, including newer vocalist Lena Philipsson, was disappointed. "This decision was made by Live Nation USA, which they probably based on their own calculations," he said, expressing hope Roxette could still play the US and Canada in the near future.

The canceled run had been set to open Sept. 10 at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, and close Oct. 9 at White River Amphitheatre in Washington state, with Roxette headlining a triple bill alongside fellow '80s acts Nick Lowe and Taylor Dayne. NME said it had reached out to Live Nation for comment.

Roxette's cancellation adds to a run of high-profile pullouts NME grouped under the industry nickname "blue dot fever," a reference to the unsold-ticket blue dots visible on seating charts for slow-selling shows. Other acts that scrapped tours or major chunks of dates in 2026 include David Lee Roth, Lily Allen, Zayn Malik, and the joint Post Malone and Jelly Roll stadium tour.

The cancellation lands during what should have been a milestone year for the band, four decades removed from their earliest lineup, and comes as touring costs across the concert industry have climbed sharply enough to reshape which shows promoters are willing to keep on the books.