Justin Bieber to take break from touring as health issues continue
The singer is curtailing the Justice world tour
By Joe Goggins
Justin Bieber has announced that he’ll take a break from touring as he continues to deal with health issues.
The Canadian pop star first revealed back in June that he’d been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare complication of shingles that attacks facial nerves and causes partial facial paralysis.
“As you can probably see with my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome and it is from this virus that attacks the nerves in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,’ he said in an Instagram video at the time, in which the left side of his face was clearly affected by the condition. “Obviously my body is telling me I’ve got to slow down.”
He went on to announce the axing of the North American leg of his Justice world tour, but then returned to the stage in Italy at the Lucca Summer festival on July 31 and went on to play a further five European dates, apparently showing no ill effects from his diagnosis.
This past Sunday (September 4), though, rumours swirled of a potential cancellation of his headline set at Brazil’s Rock in Rio. In the event, he played a full 21-song set, but last night (September 6), he again took to Instagram to reveal the physical cost of having battled through the show.
‘Earlier this year, I went public about my battle with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, where my face was partly paralysed,” began a statement on his story. “As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North America leg of the Justice Tour.”
‘After resting and consulting with my doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue with the tour,” he continued. “I performed six live shows, but it took a real toll on me.”
“This past weekend, I performed at Rock in Rio and I gave everything I have to the people in Brazil,” Bieber went on. “After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now. So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being.”
He concluded by thanking fans and telling them he loved them “passionately”. Whilst their cancellation has yet to be officially confirmed by promoters, it would appear the UK leg of the tour, which was set for next year, is off – see the affected dates below.
Justin Bieber, February 2023:
8 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
11 – Aberdeen, P&J Live
13 – London, The O2 Arena
14 – London, The O2 Arena
22 – Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
25 – Manchester, AO Arena
26 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena