Grammy-winning singer Phoebe Bridgers has postponed her remaining intimate UK performances this week after being hospitalized with appendicitis. The 32-year-old artist shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram after receiving the diagnosis. Bridgers was scheduled to perform in Kingston upon Thames on August 19, at Chalk in Brighton on August 20 and at Bristol’s Electric on August 21.
Entertainment Weekly reported that the disruption involved multiple performances, with matinee and evening shows planned in Kingston, Brighton and Bristol. Replacement dates had not been announced as of August 19. Banquet Records, which was handling the Kingston appearances, said it was working with Bridgers’ team and would provide an update when new arrangements were available.
Her latest UK appearances began earlier in the week with two intimate shows at London’s Union Chapel on August 17, which was also her 32nd birthday. The smaller performances were part of an approach in which phones and recording devices were prohibited inside the performance space. Bridgers was promoting her third solo album, Lost Weekend, which was released Friday, August 14.
Bridgers is expected to return to larger venues later this year as part of The Lost Tour 2026. Her scheduled UK and Ireland dates are part of a wider tour beginning in the United States in September. The later shows include major arena performances after the smaller album-release appearances held in Britain this week.
The Guardian reported that about 900 people attended Bridgers’ Union Chapel performance, her first solo UK show since 2022. Fans placed their phones and other devices in magnetic pouches before the performance, and Bridgers played stripped-down versions of songs from Lost Weekend alongside earlier material. She opened the show with “Motion Sickness” before being joined by musicians Nick White and Christian Lee Hutson.
The singer had previously released her last full-length solo album, Punisher, in 2020. Since then, she has been active with the supergroup boygenius alongside Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. The group released The Record in 2023 and toured extensively behind the album.
The cancellation of this week’s remaining performances was confirmed on August 19, according to The News International. Venues and organizers expressed disappointment over the changes while wishing Bridgers a quick recovery. Her Instagram announcement indicated that the performances would be moved rather than permanently canceled.
Bridgers’ team is working with organizers to reschedule the affected dates, according to a report from Billboard. No replacement dates have been announced. Her larger fall tour remains scheduled, giving fans another opportunity to see her perform after she recovers.
IMAGE: 2021 Shaky Knees Music Festival. Photo: Thomson200 / Wikimedia, taken 2021-10-24, CC0