MNEK cancels tour over lack of ticket sales and high production costs
Getty ImagesMNEK has cancelled his upcoming tour due to a lack of ticket sales and the show not being "ready to the standard" he wanted.
The Grammy-nominated artist, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Zara Larsson and Madonna, was due to start a run of shows for his latest album Bulldozer!! next month.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the 31-year-old said he joins other artists who have cancelled shows recently as a result of "high production costs" and "over-ambitious planning".
Earlier this year, The Pussycat Dolls called off almost the entire US leg of their reunion tour following poor ticket sales.
The singer, whose real name is Uzoechi Emenike, said he had been "really looking forward" to performing his new album but had "no interest in doing this tour if I can't do it right".
He thanked fans who had bought tickets and said they would be refunded soon.
The artist also said he would try to tour the album when he could put on a show which fans "deserve".
Pop star Larsson, whose hit album Midnight Sun was executive produced by MNEK, was among those who offered their support to the artist in the comments.
Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock also sent him love, while singer Becky Hill encouraged him, saying: "Touring is devastatingly expensive but you'll find a way".
The rising cost of touring
A growing number of artists have reported struggling with a "cost of touring crisis" due to rising prices.
Earlier this year, the chair of the Featured Artists Coalition and Blur drummer David Rowntree told the BBC is was "virtually impossible now to make touring pay for itself".
Booking agent Joe Booley tells BBC Newsbeat there have been "a lot of changes" to the live music industry since the Covid-19 pandemic, notably with how people are spending their money.
He feels this is "definitely a contributing factor" with ticket purchases and the number of tours being cancelled.
Booley, who is also a promoter, says poor ticket sales is something "a lot of artists are having to deal with".
Downgrading to smaller venues, shortening tours and postponing shows are some other methods acts are using to try and avoid cancelling, he says.
Getty ImagesMNEK had been due to play dates across the UK and Europe, with tickets starting from about £30.
Born in south-east London, he became a professional songwriter at the age of 14 when he signed his first publishing deal.
He went on to co-write for British acts such as The Saturdays and Little Mix and later earned credits on tracks for global stars like Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera.
His first Grammy nomination came in 2014 for his collaboration track, Need U (100%), with Duke Dumont and A*M*E.
He was also nominated earlier this year for best dance pop recording for his work on Midnight Sun.
After years as a featured artist, he broke out in his own right to release his debut studio album Language in 2018.
Fans have had to wait eight years for the follow-up, with his second album Bulldozer!! finally released last month.
