Shawn Mendes Cancels World Tour to Take “Much Needed” Mental Health Break
Photo courtesy of Miranda McDoland/Getty Images for Shawn Mendes Music News Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes announced Wednesday morning via social media that he is canceling the rest of his current world tour to take an extended mental health break.
“I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away,” the “Treat You Better” singer said in a statement.
After consulting with his team and an “incredible” group of heath professionals, he decided to cancel the remaining North American, U.K. and E.U. dates of his “Wonder” tour, which was supposed to run through October.
“It has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger,” Mendes continued.
The statement comes only a few weeks after Mendes initially announced a three-week hold on his tour at the beginning of July. He made the announcement after only one week of being on the road. In his initial announcement, the 23-year-old star spoke of the pressure that comes with being on the road and that his decision to return to touring was “premature.”
“The toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point,” Mendes wrote on social media. “After speaking with my team and health professionals, I need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health, first and foremost. As soon as there are more updates I promise I will let you know.”
Mendes did reassure fans that his mental health break didn’t mean he wasn’t going to continue making music or return to the stage at some point.
“I can’t wait to see you on tour in the future. I know you all have been waiting so long so see these shows, and it breaks my heart to tell you this but I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal. I love you all and thank you all so much for supporting me and sticking by me on this journey,” Mendes concluded.
You can read the full statement below.
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) July 27, 2022