Shubh Cancels North American Tour Due to Air Canada Strike

Shubh has cancelled his debut headline North American tour.

The Brampton-based Punjabi star was set to begin his Supreme Tour in Oakland this Friday (August 22), followed by dates at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on August 23, at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on September 5 and at Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center on September 7.

However, due to the Air Canada flight attendants' strike, which was settled yesterday, many members of the production and stage crew were unable to travel to California in time for the shows. That caused production and equipment transportation delays.

"Due to production delays and travel disruptions of key crew caused by the recent airline strikes, we've had to cancel the North American shows," says Shubh in a statement shared with Billboard Canada and posted on the @shubhaccess Instagram account. "My deepest apologies to everyone who was excited and ready for this.

"My team and I have been working tirelessly for months to bring you an incredible show, and I'm truly disappointed we won't be able to share it with you at this time. To all my fans who were ready to go, thank you for your constant support. It's your energy that keeps me going, and I promise I'll be back soon. All ticket buyers will receive a refund.

"I appreciate your understanding, and I can't wait to see you all very, very soon.

"Love,
Shubh"

In his young career, Shubh has had major chart success, with multiple entries on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Canadian Albums chart as well as Indian, New Zealand and UK charts. However, he has only played a handful of shows in the UK, Australia and New Zealand (a planned 2023 tour of India was also cancelled after backlash against a social media post he said was politically misinterpreted).

In June, Shubh did his first-ever interview in a cover story for Billboard Canada. In the story, he talked about his anticipation for his first North American tour, especially at his hometown Scotiabank Arena in Toronto where many of his influences, including Eminem and Drake, had performed.

“I’m building something really special,” he said, adding that he had put major thought into staging and production design. “It’s never been done before in our scene.”

Now, his manager Shivam Malhotra shares, he's channeling that vision into his next live show.

"We're super excited to bring the new Shubh live experience for the first time at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on October 5," Malhotra tells Billboard Canada. "All our energy is going into ensuring we pull off the best show ever in Dubai."

Ticket-holders for the Canada and U.S. shows will receive a full refund.

In the meantime, Shubh promises he will be back to play in North America again soon.