After a period of uncertainty, it’s safe to say that most concerts featuring international artists scheduled to take place in Jakarta this month have either been canceled or postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, including, unfortunately for those who already bought tickets (such as us), that of Foals.
The English rock band — whose show was scheduled for March 10 at the Basketball Hall Senayan — announced on Instagram and via their official website last night that their Jakarta show has been postponed. The band cited the Jakarta city government’s suspension on the issuance of permit for their show, which they note is “a precautionary measure toward the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia,” as a reason for the postponement.
“We are gutted to postpone. If you want a refund, please contact your point of purchase while we work on rescheduling the show,” the statement reads.
Sound Rhythm and Langit Biru Maharaya, the concert’s promoters, have also confirmed the postponement, although neither have yet to announce details on ticket refunds or a new date for the concert.
Foals has also canceled the rest of their Asia tour, with shows previously scheduled in Bangkok, Manila, as well as three cities in Japan. Despite growing reports of cases in Singapore, the quartet had performed at the music and arts festival Garden Beats last Saturday. The city-state has reported 117 cases so far, of which 81 have been discharged from hospitals. Seven currently remain in critical condition.
Other postponements
Aside from Foals, Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal have also postponed their Metal World Tour in Asia, which included a show in Jakarta that was scheduled for March 29.
Meanwhile, the organizer for headbang fest Hammersonic, scheduled for March 27-28, announced yesterday that they have rescheduled the event to Jan. 15-17, 2021.
It was previously reported that Jakarta’s Capital Investment and One Stop Integrated Service Agency (PMPTSP) has suspended the issuance of permit for Babymetal, Foals, as well as Head In The Clouds music and arts festival — after the first two cases on Indonesian soil were confirmed on Monday.
American label 88rising, who organized Head In The Clouds, has also announced that it has postponed the event indefinitely. The festival was scheduled to be held at JIExpo Kemayoran this Saturday.
Jakarta’s Governor Anies Baswedan said earlier this week that the city’s government will not be issuing new permits for events that gather large numbers of people, and those that have already been issued will be reviewed again due to the “urgent situation” of the coronavirus outbreak.
