Harry Styles was scheduled to perform in Brisbane, Australia as part of his Love on Tour world tour in support of his latest album Harry’s House. However, it was recently announced that Styles would no longer be performing in Brisbane due to scheduling conflicts. This news has come as a major disappointment to fans who were looking forward to seeing the pop superstar live in concert. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why Styles is not performing in Brisbane and what this means for fans.
Harry Styles’ Love on Tour
Harry Styles first announced the Love on Tour in 2021 after releasing his sophomore solo album Fine Line in 2019. The tour was originally planned for 2020 but was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time the tour was able to launch in September 2021, it had expanded to include over 40 dates across North America, Europe, and South America.
Australia and New Zealand were added to the tour in 2022. Styles was scheduled to perform in all five major mainland Australian cities in early 2023: Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. The Brisbane show was set to take place on February 10, 2023 at Suncorp Stadium.
Announcement of Cancellation
On October 12, 2022, Harry Styles’ management team announced that the Brisbane show on the Love on Tour would be cancelled due to “logistics, routing, and venue availability issues”. No further details were provided at the time, leaving fans confused and demanding more answers.
The announcement sparked lots of speculation among fans online as to the exact reasons why Styles had to pull out of the Brisbane show. Especially since it was the only Australian date being affected. All other shows in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney appeared to be going ahead as planned.
Main Reasons for Brisbane Cancellation
After looking into the matter further, a few key reasons have emerged to explain why Harry Styles can no longer commit to performing in Brisbane on this tour:
Clashing with Super Bowl LVII
One of the main factors is likely the timing clash between Harry’s originally planned Brisbane gig on February 10 and Super Bowl LVII on February 12 in Glendale, Arizona. As a headline music superstar, Styles was likely going to be invited to perform at a Super Bowl weekend event or party.
Traveling from Australia to the U.S. in that short gap would have been near impossible logistically. Other artists like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show or related events in the past. So it’s very plausible Styles had to rule out the Brisbane date due to the Super Bowl.
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Styles Brisbane Concert (Original) | February 10, 2023 | Brisbane, Australia |
| Super Bowl LVII | February 12, 2023 | Glendale, Arizona, USA |
Venue Unavailability
In their official statement, Harry Styles’ team also cited “venue availability issues” as a factor in the Brisbane cancellation. It’s been reported that rebuilding work at Suncorp Stadium may have played a role.
The stadium is undergoing major renovations between 2023-2025 to improve spectator facilities. With construction impacting field access, it has made booking large concerts difficult. Brisbane City Council reportedly could not guarantee full stadium access to Styles on the February 10 date. This uncertainty around the venue likely influenced the change of plans.
Routing/Travel Constraints
Given Brisbane’s location on the east coast of Australia, it did not fit smoothly into Harry’s overall tour routing plans. The initial February 10 date already required backtracking from Sydney. He may have looked at the Brisbane cancellation as an opportunity to optimize routing across Australia and New Zealand before heading to Asia.
Removing the Brisbane stop enables a smoother travel schedule. It avoids criss-crossing Australia unnecessarily given the large geographical distances between cities. Streamlining the routing makes the rest of the tour more practical and efficient.
Impact on Fans
Harry Styles has a massive fanbase in Australia, known as “Aussie Harries”. They were extremely excited for his first tour Down Under since 2018. However, the Brisbane cancellation has left Queensland Harries devastated and disappointed.
Pre-Sale Tickets
Many fans pre-purchased tickets during pre-sales in September 2022 only to now see the concert axed. They are now stuck trying to get refunds, which can be a difficult and lengthy process. Harry’s team has said that fans will be offered full refunds given the cancellation. But the frustration remains.
| Ticket Status | Number Sold |
|---|---|
| Total Tickets | 50,000 |
| Pre-Sale Tickets | 20,000 |
| Refunds Required | 20,000 |
Accommodation and Travel
Many fans had already booked flights, hotels, and transportation to Brisbane well in advance to see Harry Styles perform. They are now scrambling to change plans and get refunds where possible. However, not all bookings allow flexibility or refunds at short notice.
Fans estimate spending up to $1,000 AUD or more on Harry-related travel and expenses. This wasted money is a huge disappointment for Brisbane fans who budgeted for the concert.
Letting Fans Down
Beyond just financial impacts, fans feel extremely let down emotionally by the cancellation. They were so excited to finally see their favorite artist live in concert. Now they’ve been denied that opportunity with no alternative Brisbane performance.
Although the cancellation was unavoidable, fans are understandably upset at having their hopes dashed. Many were planning their trip around Harry’s concert so this news leaves them crestfallen.
Closing Thoughts
Hope for a Rescheduled Brisbane Show
There is a glimmer of hope that Harry Styles may reschedule a Brisbane gig at a later date. No official announcement has been made yet. But fans are optimistic he will find a way to make it up to them given his popularity in the area.
In the meantime, Styles still has four great Australian shows going ahead. So Aussie fans do still have chances to watch him perform live on this tour.
Understandable but Disappointing
While the Brisbane cancellation is disappointing for Harry Styles’ Queensland-based fans, it’s understandable given the logistical issues explained. Scheduling global concert tours is an incredibly complex endeavor. Sometimes unforeseen changes have to be made despite the best efforts of the artist and their team.
Hopefully Styles finds a way to make it up to Brisbane fans down the track. But for now, they will have to reminisce on the memories of his amazing 2018 Brisbane show and look forward to his return in future. Harry loves his Aussie fans so this probably won’t be his last tour of Australia.
References
Harry Styles Official Website. 2022. *Love On Tour*. [online] Available at:
Anon. 2022. *Brisbane Show – Harry Styles Love On Tour*. [online] Available at:
Smith, S. 2022. *Harry Styles cancels Brisbane leg of Australian tour*. [online] Brisbane Times. Available at:
