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Melissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
THE sudden cancellation of the much anticipated John Legend’s “All of me” tour has come as a blow to fans who had purchased pre-tickets for the concert. The Green Light hit-maker, who is popular for his romantic ballads, was billed to perform at the Harare International Conference Centre on November 19.

Tour promoters from South Africa, Big Concerts, through local organisers – Davies Events – had vigorously marketed the show online and most tickets had been sold out. Tickets ranged from $30 to $125. The tour was meant to see Legend performing in Cape Town on November 16 and 17 then Harare before performing in Durban on November 21.

In a statement yesterday on Davies Events Facebook page, Big Concerts communicated that the reason for the show’s cancellation was beyond their control.
“Due to unforeseen logistical challenges in moving the show between Cape Town, Harare and the recently added Durban show, Big Concerts regrets to advise that John Legend’s Harare concert, scheduled for 19th November 2014 has been cancelled,” read part of the statement.

The statement highlighted that those who had purchased tickets to the Harare concert would be reimbursed in October at Ster Kinekor and Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale, Harare, where the tickets were sold.

“Davies Events wish to advise all ticket holders that we will facilitate a full face value refund on all tickets purchased.
“The refund procedure will take place over the course of three consecutive days, being Wednesday 1st October through to Friday 3rd October 2014 from 10AM to 5PM. The refund box office will be located at Ster Kinekor, Sam Levy’s Village, Borrowdale.”

The statement said the window period would give promoters of the show adequate time to transfer artistes fees repatriated and also permit ticket holders adequate time to make arrangements to collect their money.

E-mails will be sent to ticket holders who purchased their tickets through the online reservation platform system for their reimbursement. A mobile number for those with enquiries or queries has been made available on the Davies Events Facebook page.

Legend has since updated the cancellation of the Harare show on his official website www.johnlegend.com.
According to his concert schedule, only the Harare show was cancelled as the rest of the shows scheduled for Italy, Cape Town and Johannesburg still stand. A new show slated for Durban on November 21 has since been added in between his performances.

The cancellation of Legend’s tour has come at a time when locals were beginning to grasp and appreciate the concept of purchasing tickets in advance.
Over the years, most Zimbabweans have preferred to purchase tickets to international shows after the particular artiste has arrived in the country for fear of being duped.

Legend is not the first artiste to cancel a show in Zimbabwe as he follows artistes, Mary J Blige and Timbaland who never made it to the country.
The organisers, however, said they would not stop hosting international acts in the country.

“We will continue to support the Zimbabwean market and look forward to announcing the next international artistes scheduled to perform in Harare early 2015 in the next few weeks,” they said.