Sam Smith Cancels Manchester Gig Mid-show

After getting through four songs of their set at Manchester’s AO Arena yesterday (24 May), Sam Smith’s show abruptly came to an end.

According to fan reports, the house lights turned off, leaving the arena in darkness before the I’m Not The Only One singer departed the stage and an announcement revealed that the gig was cancelled due to "vocal issues".

The cancellation of Smith’s gig at AO Arena arrived two days after the six-year anniversary of the terror attack that occurred in the same venue during an Ariana Grande concert, causing anxiety amongst fans when the lights suddenly went out.

Some reports suggest that after hearing about the death of Tina Turner, there was a "pure technological malfunction".

After initial reports of a power cut circulated on social media, Smith made a statement on social media and shared that “something was really wrong” with their voice.

UPDATE:

Sam Smith’s explanation for todays recent cancelled show for Manchester #GloriaTheTour pic.twitter.com/5jeNF3Hi81

— SmithCharts (@SmithCharts) May 24, 2023

“I don’t know what to say, honestly. I fought off a virus a few weeks ago and since then we have travelled across Europe and had such incredible shows,” Smith wrote on their Instagram Stories.

They added, “Today in soundcheck I felt fine and was so excited to give Manchester an amazing show tonight, with a special surprise at the end.

“During my third song, I noticed something wrong with my voice. I prayed it was just my voice waking up for the show but into the fourth song I could feel something was really wrong.

“I came off stage and have tried everything to get my voice back in gear but it won’t.

“I am honestly heartbroken I couldn’t finish the show tonight for you all.

“I love you all. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Speculation led to the “special surprise” being an appearance by Madonna after Smith teased hours before the show, “Manchester – we’ve got a special surprise for you this evening. Unholy won’t be the last song”.

Another social media post suggests some kind of collaboration with the Like A Prayer megastar, with the pair repeating their names in a short video and a billboard that states “S&M” found in Manchester.

Sam smith show in Manchester has been cancelled due to their voice - hope everything is okay @samsmith #samsmith #aoarena #manchesterarena pic.twitter.com/HYP9dIz4JV

— William Byrne 🌹🇪🇺 (@williambyrne_) May 24, 2023

Really odd night at Sam Smith's Manchester show. Brilliant vocals & great energy for a handful of songs, a promise of an exclusive of a new song at the end. A few songs in, the stage goes black before house lights come up and it's announced that the show's cancelled.

— Pete Allison (@Pete_Allison) May 24, 2023

No idea what’s gone on at the Sam Smith concert but if it genuinely is vocal issues I think they need to put out a statement asap. Not fair to cause so much unnecessary worry & anxiety with such a significant week in Manchester

— Becky (@bw91bw) May 24, 2023

Digital Billboards in Manchester have appeared for the upcoming Sam Smith x Madonna collaboration. pic.twitter.com/GlmsblnCYl

— SmithCharts (@SmithCharts) May 25, 2023