Pearl Jam Concert Postponed In Baltimore Over Coronavirus Concern

BALTIMORE, MD — Pearl Jam has postponed its Baltimore show indefinitely, along with its other appearances in the next couple of months, citing health risks. The band's performance at the Royal Farms Arena was slated for March 28, the day after it releases its new album, Gigatron.

The band has postponed all March and April concerts, with new dates to be determined.

"As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate," Pearl Jam said in a letter to fans dated Monday, March 9.

According to Johns Hopkins data, 23 people in Washington state have died from the new coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Our kids' schools have closed along with universities and businesses," Pearl Jam wrote. "So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives."

Nearly 800 people have tested positive for the illness in the United States as of Tuesday afternoon, data show. Around the world, more than 116,000 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed; more than 4,000 have died; and more than 64,000 have recovered from the illness, officials say.

In announcing it was canceling its upcoming shows, Pearl Jame wrote that "it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements."

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This is not the first event canceled in Baltimore due to the new coronavirus.

The WOWFest, which celebrates Women Of the World (WOW), was to attract global leaders to the Columbus Center at the Inner Harbor March 7. Organizers canceled the event March 4, attributing the decision to "growing concerns and uncertainty regarding COVID-19, Coronavirus."

WOWFest tickets are being refunded through MissionTix, while Pearl Jam purchases are being handled by Ticketmaster.

Here is the full letter from Pearl Jam about its concerts being postponed, posted on its website:

As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.

So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives.

Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy...

We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.
So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements...

This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date.

We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level. Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid.

It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work. Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.

Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another. Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energized as ever.

We are so sorry…

And deeply upset...

If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.

- Ed & Pearl Jam

Ticketing

We understand it is important to know how ticketing will work. Ticketmaster will be in touch shortly, but current tickets will be honored for the new dates.