The Foo Fighters have yanked Minneapolis' Huntington Bank Arena from their 2022 stadium tour schedule due to the venue’s "refusal to agree to the band’s COVID-19 safety measures."
The rock band announced dates for its upcoming North America tour, which features 16 venues throughout the continent from May to August 2022, but hours later the Foo Fighters announced that it would no longer be performing at Huntington Bank Stadium on Aug. 3. In a tweet, the band said it was due to the venue’s refusal to comply with the Foo Fighters’ proposed COVID-19 safety measures.
"We apologize for any inconvenience, and are working on finding a suitable replacement one that will prioritize the health and safety of everyone working and attending the show," the band said in a statement.
According to reports, the stadium does not mandate masks, proof of vaccine, or negative test results for event attendance.
In a statement, the University of Minnesota, which operates Huntington Bank Stadium, told WCCO that the school’s on-campus policies related to vaccines and mask-wearing are in line with state and federal guidelines.
"Huntington Bank Stadium has successfully hosted Gopher Football since August while fully complying with state and federal COVID guidance," the university's statement read. "All who attend events at our public institution, whether football fans, concert goers, or others, are treated equally and encouraged to take steps to protect themselves and others."
The university further noted that it would not change its existing protocols for large events.
"We continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated, wear a mask when in large crowds, and take appropriate steps to protect public and personal health," the statement read.
Earlier this year, protests were staged outside the Foo Fighter's California and New York shows after the band announced that concert goers would be required to be vaccinated to attend their shows. Actor Ricky Schroder, who attended one of the protests, later wrote online that Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl "is an ignorant punk who needs to be slapped for supporting discrimination."
"Ignorance comes in all shapes & sizes," Schroder continued. "Kurt Cobain is laughing at you Dave along with Millions of Patriots ... Fool," he added, referencing Grohl's former Nirvana bandmate, the late Kurt Cobain.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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