Journey cancels 2020 tour amid coronavirus pandemic

NEW YORK  — Journey is the latest act to cancel their 2020 tour, saying “safety must come first” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The rock band was supposed to kick off their new tour on May 15 but announced Monday that they would no longer hit the road. Band members said they decided to cancel the tour, instead of postponing it, so that concertgoers would qualify for immediate refunds.

“There is no greater thrill for us than playing for our incredibly devoted audience, but their safety must come first,” Journey’s Arnel Pineda, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain said in a joint statement Monday.

“Having seen what the world has endured during the last 45 days, and not knowing what the rest of this year or 2021 will bring, we knew the right thing to do was to make sure our fans’ health was not put in jeopardy and to provide immediate access to refund options given the unexpected events caused by this terrible virus,” they said.

The five-month trek included 60-plus shows. The Pretenders were scheduled to also perform on the tour.

The American rock band also thanked the frontliners for their “heoic efforts.” “We would like to thank all doctors, nurses, police, other first responders and essential workers for their heroic efforts; as well as our fans for doing everything possible to stay safe,” they said. “We will see everyone again as soon as it is safe to tour, and we will share that news as it becomes available. In the meantime, please Don’t Stop Believin’ in the wonder of life and in each other.”  Associated Press