‘The Toronto Curse Strikes Again,’ Jhené Aiko Fans Freak Out Online After Concert Abruptly Cancelled

A last-minute cancellation of a concert at Scotiabank Arena has fans pointing the finger at the infamous “Toronto curse.”

Jhené Aiko fans were disappointed to learn that her Toronto show had been postponed Tuesday night, just 20 minutes before the doors were set to open. A message projected on screens outside Scotiabank Arena cited “unforeseen production issues” as the reason for the cancellation and said a new show date would be announced shortly.

“Last night’s Jhené Aiko concert has unfortunately been postponed due to a significant delay in the tour production arriving in Toronto,” Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment told Now Toronto in a statement provided by Scotiabank Arena and Aiko’s management team. “Despite best efforts, there was insufficient time for production to be properly loaded into the venue for the scheduled performance.”

The cancellation came after a series of updates from Ticketmaster throughout the day about the time the concert was supposed to start, where the website initially set the start time at 7:30 p.m., which was later changed to 8:30 p.m. and finally to 9:30 p.m. before being postponed indefinitely.

The neo-soul singer posted a photo with her team at the arena on Instagram to apologize for the abrupt cancellation and said they had been there since 5 a.m.

“There were no floor seats,” Aiko explained to disheartened fans in her comments section. “It was an empty arena… no stage, no speakers.”

The concert was set to feature opening acts Coi Leray, Tink, and Kiana Lede, all of whom apologized on Instagram and promised to return to town. R&B songwriter Umi was also listed as an opening act, but announced shortly before the concert was canceled that she would not be performing due to reasons beyond her control.

The cancellation marks Aiko’s second in two years, after she pulled out as a headliner hours before her 2022 Kultureland Festival performance at Ajax Downs Racecourse.

“What is going on that Toronto can’t produce a Jhené Aiko concert?” asks one X user.

“Does Jhené Aiko hate Toronto?” another user asked.

Torontonians are blaming the cancellation on the “Toronto curse,” a phenomenon that has seen many touring artists have their shows cancelled or postponed at the last minute. Over the past two years, several artists have faced this issue, including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, SZA, Dua Lipa and KISS. Most recently, the Hot in Toronto music festival was cancelled after headliner Lil Wayne pulled out. The hip-hop festival has also reportedly hosted heavyweights like Akon, T-Pain and 2 Chainz.

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“The Toronto curse strikes again!” many social media users immediately reacted in response to the online cancellation message.

“Wdym Jhené Aiko got cancelled,” one user posted on X. “This is the third time this has happened to me.”

“I know not all concerts in Toronto are postponed or cancelled, but I feel like a good number of them are,” another user said. “The city is cursed.”

“I will never go to concerts in Toronto again,” wrote another user. “Every time I do something, something always happens.”

A number of people came from out of town, some from as far away as Detroit, USA, for the show.

“I drove 2 1/2 hours to Toronto,” complained one X user. “I was left outside for another 2 hours after they postponed the show. Now we’re driving 2 1/2 hours home because they postponed the show altogether.”

Some are also criticizing Aiko and her management team for not spacing out her show dates proportionally, as many international artists have encountered similar issues trying to enter Canada the same day they were booked. The singer took the stage at New York’s Barclays Center on Monday night, and many are criticizing Aiko’s team for not preparing to cross the border and perform abroad the following day.

“Jhené Aiko had to cancel her concert because the production got stuck at the border. Why do these artists book their concerts days apart, especially when they are going out of the country?” one X user asked.

“Find this girl a new travel agent who understands how borders work, please,” posted another user.