Lewis Capaldi struggled to finish his set at Glastonbury Festival at the weekend. Photo: AFP / Oli Scarff
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is cancelling his tour for the remainder of the year, including his New Zealand shows.
The 26-year-old singer was meant to play in Wellington and Auckland next month.
The cancellation comes after Capaldi took three weeks off performing to prioritise his health.
He announced in September 2022 he had been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome, and spoke candidly in a recent documentary about his struggle with mental health.
He returned to performing on 24 June at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, but he struggled to finish his set, with the audience singing his hit song 'Someone You Loved' when he could not.
hi x pic.twitter.com/qK8zxTD5IS
— Lewis Capaldi (@LewisCapaldi) June 27, 2023
In a statement released on social media, Capaldi thanked the audience at Glastonbury for singing along when he needed it.
"The fact that this probably won't come as a surprise doesn't make it any easier to write, but I'm very sorry to let you know I'm going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future.
"I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I'd hoped three weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I'm still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.
"I know I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can't and I'd like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who've been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more so during this past year when I've needed it more than ever."
Capaldi said he was "incredibly sorry" to fans, but he needed to feel well enough to perform to a standard people deserved.
"Playing for you every night is all I've ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I'll be back as soon as I possibly can."
Fans responded to Capaldi's statement with support, many applauding his decision to put his health first.
Capaldi was meant to perform in Auckland at Spark Arena on 18 July and TSB Arena in Wellington on 19 July.
As of Wednesday morning, Ticketmaster's website said the shows were cancelled, but no information had been published about refunds.
