Harry Styles and other artists' concert postponements fuel wild fan theories

Chicago, Illinois - Recent tour postponements and cancellations by Harry Styles, Demi Lovato, Coldplay, Stevie Nicks, and several other big name artists have sparked some wild fan theories.

Harry Styles performs on the TODAY Show in May.
Harry Styles performs on the TODAY Show in May.  © DIA DIPASUPIL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The opening night of Harry Styles' six-night residency at the United Center in Chicago was postponed just hours before it was set to begin on Thursday. It has been rescheduled for Monday.

The United Center shared the sour news on social media, citing "band/crew illness" as the reason for the postponement.

For fans who had been lined up outside the arena for hours beforehand, the last-minute news was disappointing, to say the least.

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But the British pop star is not the only artist who has cancelled or postponed a show this week, and it's sent music fans into a frenzy with speculation.

Harry Styles, Demi, Lovato, and Stevie Nicks? Fans speculate about potential postponement connections

Stevie Nicks (l.) and Demi Lovato (r.) both postponed their shows this week.
Stevie Nicks (l.) and Demi Lovato (r.) both postponed their shows this week.  © Collage: VALERIE MACON / AFP, Michael Tran / AFP

Stevie Nicks also postponed her show on Thursday in Phoenix, Arizona, due to a respiratory illness. Coldplay postponed multiple shows this week after lead singer Chris Martin was diagnosed with a "serious lung infection." And Demi Lovato rescheduled her Friday, October 7 show in Detroit because she lost her voice.

While these cancellations are more than likely coincidences amid the lingering effects of the pandemic, social media is abuzz with out-of-the-box fan theories as to why the postponements are happening.

A TikTok posted by @thatblondegirlhannah which has over a million views called attention to the long list of artists that have recently cancelled shows due to respiratory illnesses or other health concerns. The girls in the video noted that many of the artists are signed to either Sony or a label owned by Sony, leading them to believe the postponements may be connected.

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In their follow-up videos, the girls went further down the rabbit hole of investigating possibilities. They explained that the postponements could be a result of secret worker strikes within Sony.

The most insane theory they found proposes that the cancellations were somehow connected to nuclear threats, with the artists seeking shelter because they know something the rest of us don't.

Of course, concert cancellations are nothing out of the ordinary. The Covid-19 pandemic has made live performances increasingly complicated for artists, their crews, and venues, so it comes as no surprise that there will be hiccups along the way.

There may be no real reason to believe there is anything sinister behind the postponements, but exchanging hilarious theories is certainly one way for fans to cope with the disappointment.

Cover photo: DIA DIPASUPIL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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