Justin Timberlake Faces Backlash After Last-Minute Concert Cancellation
Justin Timberlake has left fans heartbroken—and furious—after canceling the final US stop of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Columbus, Ohio, at the very last minute. The Grammy-winning singer called off the show just minutes before he was set to take the stage, citing the flu as the reason for his abrupt decision.
Fans Blindsided by Last-Minute Announcement
Concertgoers, many of whom had already taken their seats at Nationwide Arena, were blindsided when the news broke mere minutes before showtime. Timberlake took to Instagram to break the bad news, writing, “You guys. I’m heartbroken. I have to cancel the show tonight. I went into soundcheck battling the flu, and now it’s gotten the best of me.” He added, “It kills me to disappoint you and my team who worked so hard to make this show happen.”
While Timberlake expressed his regret and promised refunds, the damage had already been done. Fans vented their frustration on social media, with many slamming the pop star for not canceling earlier in the day.
One upset attendee commented on Facebook, “My friend and I waited in that line, in the cold… It’s disappointing that you tried to push through your illness and cancel while people were finding their seats 12 min before the show should start, after paying $25 for parking, many people already buying concessions and shirts, vs. canceling earlier in the day.” They continued, “The flu is rough, but I’m sure your symptoms started more than 12 minutes before the show. At least cancel sooner—it’s the last-minute part that’s frustrating.”
Another irate fan shared their disappointment, saying, “So weak, dude—my wife flew from Florida to take my daughter and a few friends to this rescheduled show. They drove from Cincinnati today and found out as they were parking the car that you decided at the last minute to cancel.” The fan went on to say, “Lots of money and time and life disruptions… you’ve disappointed and lost at least a couple of lifelong fans.”
A Pattern of Cancellations?
Some fans couldn’t help but recall Timberlake’s history of last-minute cancellations. Back in October, the “Selfish” singer postponed his Newark show due to an unspecified injury, writing in a since-deleted post, “I have an injury that is preventing me from performing. I’m so disappointed to not see you all—but I’m working to reschedule ASAP.” This time, however, Timberlake offered no rescheduling plans, leaving concertgoers feeling snubbed.
“This is literally the 2nd time this has happened, and there’s not even a reschedule,” one fan vented on X (formerly Twitter), alongside a video of fans dejectedly leaving the venue.
A Few Fans Come to His Defense
Not everyone was quick to pile on the criticism. Some fans defended Timberlake’s decision, pointing out that he genuinely seemed too sick to perform. “I was working the event and heard him warm up. Trust me, he needed to cancel. He sounded awful and you could tell he was congested,” one Reddit user shared.
Just a day before the ill-fated Columbus show, Timberlake had taken to Instagram to celebrate his tour crew, writing, “Only one more show to go… and I wanted to take a minute to shout out this incredible tour family. These are the people who keep this whole thing running.” He ended the post with, “Let’s do it ONE MORE TIME tomorrow night in Columbus.”
Unfortunately for fans, that one more time didn’t happen.
