After Manchester Attack, Fans Ask Justin Bieber to Cancel UK Tour

Will Justin Bieber cancel his UK tour?

Justin Bieber performs on stage. (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Fans of Justin Bieber pleaded on Tuesday for his upcoming British tour dates to be cancelled. After the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, music artists and fans want to be more cautious.

Canadian heartthrob Bieber, 23, is due to play an open air concert at London's Hyde Park in July. But fans flooded social media saying his appearance should be axed for the safety both of fans and the singer himself.

"Cancel Justin's concert in the UK, please! We want him to be safe, please," a person using the handle marhrukhh wrote on the Instagram account of Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun. Leanne Murray, 20, who lives in Ireland, has tickets to see Bieber play in Dublin next month – she paid 180 Euros ($200) each for two tickets. But she said that after Monday's bombing she is contemplating selling them.

I just don’t want what I would hope to be a great night to end in something like last night [Manchester Arena attack]. It’s frightening to think that it could have been any of us and it really shows that you never know what’s around the corner.

Murray to Reuters

Touring has been one of the top sources of income for musicians in recent years. Pop acts like Taylor Swift, Bieber, One Direction and Grande are also among the top earners. Grande grossed more than $25 million from touring between April 2016-April 2017, according to Pollstar figures, while Bieber grossed $163 million in 2016.

Joe Reinartz, news editor at Pollstar, said that although he believes security is already strong at music venues and will no doubt be stepped up, parents would likely be more cautious.

In the short term, there are going to be concerns for any large gathering where there will be young people, and that doesn’t necessarily mean a Justin Bieber show. It means a high school football game, or an event at a fair ground.

Joe Reinartz, News Editor, Pollstar

Jim Donio, president of the Music Business Association, said he would be surprised to see musicians cancelling tours because of the attack at the Grande concert. But he said fans will be more aware and prepared.