Sam Fender Cancels Tour Dates to Tend to His Mental Health: 'I've Neglected Myself'

Mar. 15, 2025

Sam Fender.Photo: Gus Stewart/Redferns

Sam Fenderis taking a step back.

The British musician, 28, announced this week that he’s canceling a series of shows in order to tend to his mental health, as a whirlwind year filled with dozens of international tour dates have left him “burnt out.”

“It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it if I don’t take the time to look after my own mental health,” he wrote in a lengthy statement shared to Instagram. “I’ve neglected myself for over a year now and haven’t dealt with things that have deeply affected me.”

Fender continued: “It’s impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it’s exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business. My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while and it’s not going to get better unless I take the time to do so.”

The musician said that as a result, he would be canceling three headlining shows in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, as well as opening slots for Florence and the Machine and the Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas.

“I refuse to go out there and not give it my all EVERY time, as you all deserve nothing less,” he said. “I can’t express how grateful we are to have such an awesome fan base. I’ve met a fair few of you over the years and those encounters have genuinely restored my faith in humanity, you’re all sound as f—.”

Fender’s message was met with an outpouring of support from fans includingGwyneth Paltrow, who recently caught the star’s New York City show in August.

“This is beautiful. We ❤️you. Look after yourself,” she wrote.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Fender, who released his second studio album,Seventeen Going Under, in October 2021. The album was a smash hit in his native UK, and notched the No. 1 spot on the albums chart, won big at the 2022 BRIT Awards, and was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize.

Fender spent much of 2021 on the road, andopened up to PEOPLE in Julyabout the ways in which his rise to fame has taken a toll on his mental health.

Sam Fender.Luke Walker/Getty

“I was saying this to the label, I was kind of like, ‘I need to live a bit more, because I’m not at the moment,'” he added at the time. “I was like, ‘My life is constantly touring and doing stuff for this.’ And it really kind of gets to the point where it does get uninspiring. I had a lot of things to write about at the beginning of the year, which I’ve already done, but now it’s kind of like, I think I need a bit of time to just be a f—ng person.”

Fender will head back out on the road in November for four dates in Australia.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com