Dead & Company have canceled their Playing in the Sand resort shows in Cancun slated to start this weekend amid rising Covid cases, the band announced on Thursday. Ticketholders will be refunded for the show, and they’ll be given more details on refunds in an email associated with their tickets.
“Dead & Company and CID Presents tried everything possible to bring normalcy and to deliver a great experience and amazing music, but with each day it became increasingly clear that canceling is the correct thing to do for the fans and for our crew,”The band released a statement.
As they tried to keep the show running, the band faced many challenges from the influx of cases. As Rolling Stonepreviously reported, for weeks, Deadheads who bought their tickets last spring had pushed the band and concert promoter CID Presents to change a strict no-refund policy and offer refunds or postpone the show given how drastically Covid’s spread has changed since the Omicron variant began to surge.
Covid protocol was strictly enforced at the event. All attendees were required to present proof of vaccination and a negative Covid result within 48 hours of check-in. For them to return to the U.S. they would need another test within 2 days.
Yet, ticketholders who spoke with Rolling StoneThey mentioned several reasons why they were nervous to attend, including the increased likelihood of flight cancellations and the possibility of being quarantined in Mexico if they get the virus. (Attendees who test positive for the virus can’t return to the U.S. for several days and would have had to quarantine in a complimentary room supplied by the resort.) CID and the band reversed their refund policy last week and allowed fans to request a refund. To avoid the virus, they recommended concertgoers not to leave the resort after arriving at the event.
Beyond fans’ concerns, Grateful Dead founding drummer Bill Kreutzmann announced he had to pull out of the show citing a heart condition. John Mayer, who had tested positive for Covid, was forced to leave the show Wednesday night.
Canceling an international show date so close to the event’s start is complicated. Many of the fans were already at the resort where the concert was to be held, while others were already on their way to Mexico. It isn’t immediately clear what show organizers will do for the fans who’d arrived and now need to get another flight home. The representative of the band told usRolling Stonethat they will be reaching out directly to attendees who’ve already flown to Cancun about next steps.