By Rorisang Modiba
• Grammy Award winning singer Maxwell has cancelled his Pretoria and Cape Town concerts because of unforeseen circumstances beyond his control.
• Fans who bought tickets will receive full refunds through Webtickets, while competition winners will also be contacted.
Thousands of South African fans hoping to see Grammy Award winning singer Maxwell this month have been left disappointed.
The American Rhythm and Blues star has cancelled both of his South African concerts just days before he was due to perform.
Maxwell was scheduled to perform at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria on Saturday, 8 August, and at the Grand Arena at GrandWest in Cape Town on Tuesday, 11 August.
His management informed local promoter Vertex Events that he would no longer be travelling to South Africa because of “unforeseen circumstances beyond my control”.
The singer apologised to fans and said the decision was not easy.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond my control, I’m unfortunately no longer able to perform in South Africa as planned… I sincerely apologise to everyone who was looking forward to the shows.”
Vertex Events said it did everything possible to keep the concerts alive.
The company said it explored different dates and alternative options but could not find a solution that would work in 2026.
“Despite every effort to preserve the tour, including exploring alternative dates, we have unfortunately been unable to find a workable solution for 2026,” the promoter said.
Vertex Events added that all venues, production arrangements and logistics had already been finalised before the cancellation.
The promoter also stressed that neither Maxwell nor the organisers had broken the terms of the agreement.
Radio station Kaya 959, the tour’s official media partner, also expressed disappointment.
“Kaya 959 shares in the disappointment of Maxwell’s fans and our listeners who were looking forward to these performances,” the station said.
The station confirmed it would contact competition winners and work to make suitable arrangements following the cancellation.
Fans who bought tickets do not have to worry about losing their money.
Vertex Events confirmed that all ticket holders will receive full refunds.
Webtickets will contact customers directly by email with refund details and instructions.
Although South Africans will not see Maxwell perform this year, organisers say they have already started discussions with his management to bring him back in 2027.
For now, fans will have to wait another year to see one of Rhythm and Blues music’s biggest stars perform on local stages.
Pictured above: Maxwell.
Image source: Supplied.
