Marcus King delivered some tough news to his overseas fans on Monday (March 23): He’s canceling all dates on his planned international tour.
The singer was scheduled to play stops in Australia and New Zealand in early April, but those dates have been nixed due to what King describes as a wrench in the “business side of things.”
“There’s nothing in the world we hate more than to cancel a show, let alone an entire tour — but sometimes the business side of things just doesn’t line up with our desire/need to play for as many of you amazing folks as possible,” he wrote in a social media post.
Why Did Marcus King Cancel His International Tour?
According to King’s statement, it seems like the tour got canned after the cancellation of its cornerstone festival date.
That festival is Byron Bay Bluesfest, an annual four-day event that’s one of Australia’s biggest festivals.
“Due to the cancelation of Bluesfest, we won’t be able to go on with our planned Australia & New Zealand run,” King explained. “Bluesfest was the anchor for this trip and without that, it just isn’t possible.”
He also vowed to make it up to his international fans.
“We WILL be back and we WILL get together again next get down — down under,” King concluded his post.
Wait, Did Marcus King or Randall King Cancel His Tour?
Both. Marcus King’s tour cancellation is not to be confused with Randall King’s tour cancellation, which he announced late last week.
Read More: Randall King Cancels Tour, Seeks Professional Help
While Marcus King’s scrapped tour plans were logistical, Randall King’s stemmed from personal issues. When he announced the news, Randall said he is “actively seeking professional help and focusing on my faith, my health/mental health and my family.”
Why Was Australia’s Bluesfest Canceled?
The festival cancellation came as a shock to fans earlier this month, though some organizers say it’s been a long time coming.
The festival cited “rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs, combined with softer ticket demand and international uncertainties, according to Rolling Stone Australia.
Read More: Your 2026 Country Music Festivals Guide
The festival has also been beset by reports of internal strife; both financial and personal.
Ticketholders raised concerns about not getting their money back after reports surfaced that Bluesfest owed upwards of $5 million to creditors, and PayPal announced it would make an exception to its refund policies to help some buyers get their refunds.
The Australian also recently conducted an investigation into festival director Peter Noble over allegations against him of bullying and verbal abuse toward staff, as well as payment disputes with performers and accusations of misleading fans by claiming that Bluesfest would end in 2025 before securing more government grant money for the show to go on.
Read More: Faster Horses Festival Canceled for the Second Consecutive Year
Noble’s legal team has responded that he has “not committed any misconduct,” Rolling Stone Australia reports.
Another organizer, former head of marketing Jason Clair, tells the publication “did not fail from one bad decision” but rather due to “a multi-year deficit, a broken trust loop and an unviable pricing model collided in a fragile live music economy.”
Clair also says that the festival’s team largely believed that the 2025 Bluesfest would indeed be the festival’s last show, and they marketed it as such in good faith, not as a tactic to drive ticket sales.
2026 Country Music Festivals Guide
Enjoy an updated list of country music’s best festivals, across America, Canada, Great Britain and more. This list of 2026 country fests will be updated to reflect postponements, cancelations or lineup adjustments.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
