Sum 41‘s tour of Australia is finished, due to Deryck Whibley’s latest bout of pneumonia.
The Canada-born frontman is unable to join the punk-rock band for the three-city Good Things Festival, due to kick off in Melbourne on Friday, December 6th, followed by legs in Sydney and a tour-closer Sunday in Brisbane.
The late scratching will be massive bummer for fans. The veteran guitar band had touted this as their final tour, coming in support of their eighth and last album Heaven :x: Hell, which dropped in March.
Since then, the band have spent much of the year on a farewell tour, with a forthcoming, January 2025 concert at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto marking their final show ever. These Australia dates are cancelled, not postponed.
“It is will deep sadness and regret that we announce our 2024 Australian tour is unable to proceed,” reads a statement on the official Sum 41 accounts. “We were beyond excited to deliver this tour from December 4 – December 12, and connect with our Aussie fans once more.” The band’s final Australia date, booked for December 14th at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, is also wiped out.
Sum 41’s message continues, “Now that we’re here though and under the guidance and direction of multiple Australian doctors, it’s clear that Deryck is too unwell to perform. We understand and appreciate your disappointment – we’re gutted too.”
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The writing was on the wall when the Sum 41 cancelled their Good Things sideshow Wednesday night, December 4th at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, citing illness.
“Unfortunately, we have to make the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s show in Brisbane due to Deryck being diagnosed with pneumonia,” reads a statement from the band, reposted on the venue’s socials.
“He is receiving the best possible local care and we are working with the promoter to make sure all ticket buyers for tonight’s show are refunded and will let you know more soon.”
There’s a sense of déjà vu for Australian fans, who missed out in 2011 when Sum 41 scrapped their spot on the now-defunct Soundwave music festival tour when Whibley was hospitalised, also with pneumonia. Stranger still, the head of touring for Good Things fest was the general manager of Soundwave all those years ago.
For their final act, Sum 41 will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the 54th Annual JUNO Awards, to be presented from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on March 30th, 2025.
For Good Things 2024, the show will go on.
The traveling fest “is set to hit Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney this weekend, with a slight tweak to the lineup. Under the guidance and direction of doctors in Australia, it has become clear Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley is too unwell to perform,” reads a statement from organisers.
“Sum 41 are gutted they can’t perform, and we fully understand and appreciate fans’ disappointment. Deryck’s health and wellbeing is the focus and priority though, and we hope you will join us in sending him well wishes for his recovery.”
Produced by Destroy All Lines, Good Things Festival 2024 features a lineup of more than 28 bands, including headliners Korn, Violent Femmes, Jet, and Kerry King, Billy Corgan, Northlane, and many others.
“The good news is our headliner Korn is ready and raring to go, the sites are built, venues look amazing and our timetable has been shuffled to ensure you have the best day possible,” the Good Things statement continues.
Destroy All Lines has emerged as one of the biggest independent concert promoters here or anywhere, shifting upwards of 700,000 tickets in the past 12 months.
Good Things 2024 Dates & Venues
General tickets are on sale now via goodthingsfestival.com.au. Read more here.
Friday, December 6th
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (15+)
Saturday, December 7th
Centennial Park, Sydney (16+)
Sunday, December 8th
Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (15+)
