Usher postpones 'Past Present Future' tour last minute to ‘rest and heal’

Usher’s first tour in ten years is off to a rocky start.

Just hours before he was set to inaugurate his Past Present Future tour on Wednesday, August 14, the King of R&B postponed the highly anticipated opening night in Atlanta.

In a social media statement, Usher, 45, explained that he realised he needs to “rest and heal” so as to not compromise the quality of his performance.

“For my 30-plus year career, 100% of my blood, sweat and tears has gone into putting on the best performance and creating a memorable experience for my fans,” he began.

“I have every intention of doing that for this tour as well which is why I have to postpone tonight’s show and reschedule it for a later date to give my body a second to rest and heal,” he explained.

"The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you," he added, reasoning that he “wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best [sic].”

Despite the postponement, Usher's upcoming shows on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17, at Atlanta's State Farm Arena are still on. The tour is set to run through May 2025, with stops in major cities across North America and Europe.

It appears that the Grammy-winner has burnt himself out after a busy year; he wrapped up a successful Las Vegas residency in December 2023, dropped his ninth studio album Coming Home later in February, and headlined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show.