Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung Hok-yau has cancelled three concerts in Hangzhou, China, this weekend because his vocal cords are inflamed.
It is the third time the 63-year-old Cantopop star has scrapped dates on his “Jacky Cheung 60+ World Tour” this year because of health issues.
Cheung cancelled three concerts in Shanghai in March after testing positive for Covid-19, and last month pulled out of three of his nine scheduled shows in Taipei, Taiwan, hours before the first of them was due to start because of a swollen throat caused by the respiratory syncytial virus. He recovered in time to perform from June 14 to 16 in Taipei.
Refunds for ticket holders of the Hangzhou concerts scheduled between July 26 and 28 will be arranged, according to the concert organiser. They can also hold on to their tickets, as more dates in Hangzhou are being arranged for later this year.
The fact remains that I can’t sing for now
While Cheung’s Shanghai concerts were postponed until October, there will be additional performances in Taiwan in 2025 to compensate the sudden cancellation of his Taipei concerts.
In a statement released on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Cheung apologised to his Hangzhou fans for the late cancellation of this weekend’s concerts.
“But the fact remains that I can’t sing for now,” the statement said. Cheung said he still had nasal inflammation from a previous viral infection, and inflamed vocal cords that affect his voice.
Although the singer had been taking plenty of rest and doctors had assured him his general health is good, he was not confident he could perform well enough on stage and that led to the decision to cancel the concerts.
“For me, there is only one condition: if I can perform on stage, then I will continue; if not, then I have to cancel,” Cheung wrote.
Fans of the singer left comments on the social media sites of Jacky Cheung fan clubs wishing the Hong Kong singer “good health” following his persistent health problems and expressed their willingness to wait and see his rescheduled concerts.
“(I) really can’t accept this kind of automatic ticket refund. Hok-yau has said those who really want to see him have the option to keep their ticket stubs. We are OK with the postponements, we’ll wait until Hok-yau recovers well,” a Chinese internet user calling themselves “Bubble hot soda” commented on Weibo.
Another Weibo user expressed the hope Cheung would continue performing in the decades ahead, writing: “Even if the symptoms are gone and the indicators are normal, you still have to take some time off to let your body recover. I still want to see your 70+, 80+ concerts.”
Cheung, known as the “God of Songs”, launched his current tour in Macau in June 2023. Since then, the singer has performed tour dates in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.