Garth Brooks Addresses Canceled Ireland Shows [Full Statement]
10 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Garth Brooks Addresses Canceled Ireland Shows [Full Statement]
Garth Brooks‘ comeback hasn’t even happened yet but the first controversy is already here.
Following a dispute with the Dublin City Council, Brooks felt forced to cancel five performances which were due to take place next week. When the original three shows quickly sold out, Brooks planned to add two more. Dublin’s Croke Park is only licensed for three events, and while the City Council voted to grant an exception, the city manager denied it. “It’s all or nothing,” Team Brooks said, and so all five shows were canceled.
While I appreciate that the city manager’s job is to look after the citizen’s of Dublin and not to please Garth Brooks, his decision will result in an estimated $15 million in missed revenue. On the other hand, if they had initially planned to go over there for three shows, I don’t fully understand the decision to cancel all performances and not just the last two. In a previous statement, Garth got just a touch overdramatic about that, saying that “[t]o choose which shows to do and which shows not to do would be like asking to choose one child over another.”
Over 400,000 ticket holder can request a refund from Ticketmaster, but many fans will probably lose the money they spent on airline tickets.
Later this year, Garth will release a comeback album and set off on a three-year world tour, allegedly starting in Chicago.
Read Garth’s full statement below:
“I have always been advised to NEVER send a message in “the moment.” It is said it is best to take a walk, wait awhile, and think about it. With that said, I just received the news the Dublin City Council cannot change their earlier ruling to not allow the licenses for all five shows. To say I am crushed is an understatement. All I see is my mother’s face and I hear her voice. She always said things happen for a reason and for the right reason. As hard as I try, I cannot see the light on this one. So it is with a broken heart, I announce the ticket refunds for the event will go as posted by TicketMaster.
I want to thank the Irish authorities for going the distance for all of us who wanted to share songs and dance together. I really want to thank all the people around the world that continued to think good thoughts that this would actually happen. Most of all, to Peter Aiken [of Aiken Promotions] and those 400,000 people who believed enough to go through what they have been through to get to this point…I love you, always have, always will. I encourage any and all of them that can come see the show, at some point around the world, to bring your Irish flags and wave them proudly at the concerts. I will be looking for you…garth.”
Liv Carter
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
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