Last month Lewis Capaldi paused his Broken By Desire to be Heavenly Sent tour after struggling to perform his set at the Glastonbury Music Festival. Now he’s canceled his appearance as the headlining act for next month’s Leeds festival. The 1975 are set to stand in for the Scottish singer making it their second year standing in for the headliner. But what has happened to Capaldi? And why is he dropping out of so many events?
Capaldi’s emotional music has had fans in tears for years, turns out people love a good cry. But the singer is also pretty hilarious and many fans love him just as much for his sense of humor as his music. However, there is much more going on behind the scenes and it’s unfortunately had an adverse affect on his recent shows.
His latest canceled appearance is likely down to the same thing that caused him to put his tour on an indefinite hiatus; the music star’s mental health and his Tourette’s, which he went public with in September last year, have made performances quite a struggle. He chronicled a lot of his struggles in the Netflix documentary Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now. His condition made performing at Glastonbury last month incredibly difficult, and videos from his set showed fans helping him finish his songs.
It was shortly after this performance that the singer decided to cancel his upcoming tour dates to focus on his mental health as well as deal with his Tourette’s. Capaldi was due to appear in Asia, Australia, and Europe, right through to the end of 2023. However, there is currently no confirmation on when or if he will get back to touring, although he did go into more depth in an Instagram post shared on the 27th of June.
“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. […] 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.”
The explanation was met with support and understanding from fans and fellow entertainers alike, with many praising him for his bold and ultimately correct decision to put himself first. One fan wrote in reply to his post:
“Take 5 years off. Have fun, go on adventures, make memories and make YOU happy. Everyone will still be here whenever you feel ready to return.”
There were many more pretty much in the same vein as the one above.
Knowing the reason for Capaldi’s decision means it’s not such a surprise to see other scheduled appearances like Leeds also being canceled. Opting to prioritize mental health over his obligations to his tour was certainly the right decision, and sets a great example for those who follow him.