Sum 41’s Australian tour canceled after Deryck Whibley hospitalized

Sum 41 canceled their entire Australian tour, including a co-headlining appearance at the Good Things Festival, as frontman Deryck Whibley battled pneumonia.

The band announced the decision on December 5, citing medical advice from Australian doctors who believed Whibley was too ill to perform.

“It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce that our 2024 Australian tour cannot go ahead,” the band said in a statement on social media. “We are extremely excited to be hosting this tour from December 4th to 12th and Reconnecting with our Australian fans.”

“Now that we are here, and under the guidance of a number of Australian doctors, it has become clear that Derek is too unwell to compete. We understand and appreciate your disappointment – we are saddened as well.

The statement continued: “The good news is that the Good Things Festival will still be taking place in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this weekend with an incredible line-up of local and international acts. We can’t be there, but please live in peace and harmony. Live the best time.

The tour is in support of Sum 41’s eighth and final album, heaven:x: hellreleased in March. These dates are highly anticipated as part of the band’s farewell run leading up to their final show at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena in January 2025.

The cancellation follows the band’s earlier decision to cancel its December 4 sideshow at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Concert Hall. At the time, the band said: “Unfortunately, due to Derek being diagnosed with pneumonia, we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s show in Brisbane. He is receiving the best care available locally.

This marks the second time Australian fans have missed seeing the Canadian rock band perform due to Whibley’s health. In 2011, the band canceled a performance at Sonic Music Festival after Whibley was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Sum 41’s final performance will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 54th Juno Awards in Vancouver on March 30, 2025.

Despite the setback, the Good Things Festival will go ahead as planned, with Cohen set to headline the three-city event, along with other performers including Violent Femmes, Jet, Northlane and Billy Corgan.

“Sum 41 is extremely frustrated to not be able to perform and we fully understand and appreciate our fans’ disappointment,” festival organizers said in a statement. “Derek’s health and well-being is the focus and priority and we hope you can Together we send our best wishes for his recovery.”

The festival will kick off in Melbourne on December 6, followed by Sydney and Brisbane. Ticket holders for the Sum 41 sideshow will receive refund information soon.

After Sum 41 debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Play chart earlier this year, “Dopamine” ranked No. 1 again in the November 30 survey.

The song follows a two-week alternative play order for “Landmines” in March. The latter held the lead for 22 years, five months and three weeks after Sum 41’s debut No. 1 song “Fat Lip” in August 2001, rewriting the longest streak between rulers in the chart’s 36-year history. Long interval recording.

It broke the previous best record held by The Killers, who had to wait 13 years and six months between 2006’s When You Were Young and 2020’s Caution.

Whibley recently published a memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell“” also became the No. 1 bestseller on Amazon’s list of punk musician biographies after debuting in October. In this deeply personal autobiography, the frontman looks back to the heights of his rise to fame with “Sum 41,” international success and accolades such as a Grammy nomination and an MTV Video Music Award.