Due to the surge of the omicron variant in New York City, Phish have postponed their New Year’s run at Madison Square Garden.
The jam band legends had been scheduled to play a four-night residency at the Garden from December 29th to January 1st. Those shows have now been rescheduled for April 20th-23rd, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22nd.
“The health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds,” the band said in a statement announcing the postponement. “While Phish has played shows this year as the pandemic has continued, this variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented.”
“We are also mindful that a significant number of people travel for these shows and then return to their communities, and we want to avoid accelerating transmission of the virus. Finally, even with the strictest of tour COVID protocols, the prolonged exposure of a four-night indoor run (plus the days of preparation and travel) to critical crew and staff considerably increases the possibility of having to shut the shows down once they’ve started.”
Tickets for the postponed shows will be valid at the rescheduled ones, while refunds will also be available.
While the news is surely disappointing to fans, as Phish themselves note in their statement, early data suggests the omicron variant is highly transmissible. LCD Soundsystem was recently forced to cut short their residency in Brooklyn after several fans tested positive for the virus after attending the band’s concerts.
