Morrissey is forced to cancel his first two gigs of 2026 at the last minute after suffering an 'adverse reaction to prescription medication' - weeks after shelving South American tour dates

Morrissey has been forced to cancel more live shows after suffering an 'adverse reaction to prescription medication.' 

The enigmatic singer was scheduled to perform at California's Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage on January 3, followed by a second show at San Diego Civic Theatre on Tuesday evening. 

However both shows have been abruptly cancelled due to illness, just two months after Morrissey, 66, shelved a string of South American tour dates, citing 'extreme exhaustion' as the reason. 

Announcing his latest cancellation, a statement from Agua Caliente Casino assured disappointed fans that an alternative date is in the process of confirmed. 

'Due to an adverse reaction to a prescription medication, the Morrissey concert originally scheduled on Saturday January 3, 2026 has been postponed' 

'Please hold onto your tickets as they will be honored for a rescheduled date. Should you wish to request a refund, please contact your original point of purchase.' 

The Civic Theatre offered a similar statement, with a message on the venue's official Instagram page reading: 'Please note the Morrissey event scheduled for January 6 at the San Diego Civic Theatre has been cancelled. Refunds are available via point of purchase.' 

Commenting on the post, fans of the British singer admitted they were not surprised by his latest spate of withdrawals, with one commenting: 'Didn’t he cancel last year too????'

A second added: 'Cancelling RESCHEDULED shows… people don't be surprised this is classic Morrissey… and I knew it…'

Elsewhere, a third wrote: 'Disappointed but not surprised.' 

While a fourth quipped: 'As expected.'

The former Smiths frontman was also due to play a series of dates in Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Lima, and Bogota from November 8 to November 22.

However, the venues later informed ticket-holders of his decision to axe the shows.

Argentina's Movistar Arena confirmed: 'We inform the public that, due to extreme exhaustion of the artist, Morrissey’s tour of Latin America will not take place, including the show scheduled for November 8th at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.'

Days earlier, Morrissey cancelled two concerts in Mexico, citing the same reason.

He was due to perform in Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on October 31, followed by a gig at Auditorio Telmex in Zapopan. Both shows were pulled at the last minute.

Promoters OCESA shared a statement on the same day as the Mexico City show, which read: 'We are informing the public in Mexico City and Guadalajara that, due to the artist’s extreme exhaustion, Morrissey’s concerts scheduled for October 31st at the Palacio de los Deportes and November 4th at the Auditorio Telmex have been cancelled.'

Following the promoter’s cancellation announcement, Morrissey’s official website posted a video last Saturday for his song I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday, with the post captioned by several Mexican flag emojis and the title of the 1992 track.

In October, Morrissey cancelled his shows in Turkey due to a backlash against his support for Israel. 

The concerts, which were due to take place in December, had tickets removed from sale after footage from a 2012 show went viral, in which he was seen draped in an Israeli flag while performing in Tel Aviv.

And in September, the singer cancelled gigs in Connecticut and Boston following a 'credible threat' to assassinate him on stage.

A message posted on Morrissey’s official Facebook account at the time read: 'In recent days, there has been a credible threat on Morrissey’s life. 

'Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of both the artist and audience, tonight’s engagement at Foxwoods has been cancelled. We appreciate your understanding.'

A later message added: 'Due to recent events and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of both the artist and band, the upcoming shows this weekend at Foxwoods and MGM Music Hall have been cancelled. 

'All tickets will be refunded automatically at your original point of purchase. We appreciate your understanding.'