Fans are understandably upset after Justin Timberlake announced the cancellation of his final US concert on the Forget Tomorrow World Tour due to a sudden bout of flu. The Grammy-winning artist made the announcement on Thursday, just moments before his scheduled performance in Columbus, Ohio. Concertgoers received the disappointing news a mere 15 minutes before the show was set to start, leaving many feeling frustrated and let down.
In a heartfelt statement shared on his Instagram account, Timberlake expressed his sorrow to fans, stating, “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.” The 44-year-old singer further expressed his regret, acknowledging the hard work of his team and the disappointment caused to his dedicated fans.
Despite Timberlake’s promise of refunds for the canceled concert, many fans took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the last-minute decision. Some concertgoers claimed that doors at Nationwide Arena had already been opened when they received the notification. One fan articulated their frustration, stating, “Canceling because of being sick is 100% understandable. Canceling 10 minutes before the doors were to open is unacceptable.” Another user echoed these sentiments, saying, “Dude, waiting till the last minute totally sucked.”
Others highlighted the logistical challenges posed by the late notice, with one fan lamenting, “Okay so….doors shouldn’t have been opened if you knew at sound check you weren’t feeling good. Some of us traveled and rescheduled hotels not once but twice; that is non-refundable.” This sentiment resonated with many who had made significant arrangements to attend the show.
The frustration among fans was heightened by the fact that this was not the first instance of last-minute cancellations by Timberlake. A fan pointed out that he had previously postponed his Newark, NJ, concert in October 2024 due to an undisclosed "injury.” They remarked, “This is literally the 2nd time this has happened, and there’s not even a reschedule. We drove 3 hours and paid for a hotel room, and you tell us 5 minutes before it starts that it’s canceled,” labeling the situation as “unacceptable.”
Following the announcement, a video surfaced on social media showing many disgruntled fans leaving the arena. One user shared their experience on X, captioning the video, “Everyone leaving Nationwide Arena because Justin Timberlake canceled the LAST tour date after already rescheduling from October. 10 minutes before the opener and after doors opened.”
Page Six has reached out to Timberlake’s representatives for a comment regarding the backlash. Last October, Timberlake expressed his disappointment after being unable to perform for his Newark fans due to an injury, stating in a since-deleted post, “I’m so disappointed to not see you all — but I’m working to reschedule ASAP.”
Despite the recent cancellation, Timberlake is set to resume his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in South America, kicking off on March 21 at Lollapalooza Argentina. On Wednesday, prior to the cancellation, the “Mirrors” singer celebrated his penultimate concert with a heartfelt post on Instagram, thanking his tour family. He wrote, “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.” Timberlake concluded with optimism, saying, “Let’s do it ONE MORE TIME tomorrow night in Columbus.”
