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Illness Forces Hozier to Reschedule Shows
‘The show must go on’ is a phrase that performers know all too well. Despite heartache, aching limbs, and illness, many sports professionals, dancers, actors, and musicians are renowned for their perseverance and ability to push through.
Luckily, most also know when they need to take a break and rest. Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, fortunately, is one of those people.
Hozier Played at NYC’s Gov Ball Despite Struggling With a Virus
On June 9, Hozier, who has been touring in support of his “Unreal Unearth: Unending album, made the difficult decision to postpone two shows. He posted to X:
“Thank you to [Gov Ball] for having me last night and to the crowd in NYC for being so kind while I struggled through this virus,” he wrote. “You gave me such a lift, so much love.”
Sadly, less than two hours later, he posted another message:
“Due to illness my upcoming performances originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 10 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ and Thursday, June 12 at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, MO are being rescheduled,” the “Take Me To Church” singer wrote. The Camden show will now take place on July 15, and the Ridgedale show will take place on July 22.”
He continued by confirming “purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates, and he was still planning to play at Bonnaroo on June 15. While there were a few disgruntled comments, the majority of fans wished him well.
Hozier Makes ‘Specter of Puberty’ Joke When His Voice Cracked
On the final night of the Gov Ball music festival, Hozier and his band were ill. Thankfully for the fans who turned out to see them, they still managed to get through their entire set.
Right after playing a breathtaking, acoustic rendition of “Cherry Wine,” he asked the audience for some grace. “You guys have been so, so kind,” the “Too Sweet” singer said in a video posted to TikTok. “For anybody who has never seen me before, I promise I sound at least 5% better on average.”
“Today I am stricken, I am haunted, by the specter of puberty one more time,” he joked. “If my voice cracks, if we have to laugh at it, let’s laugh at it together.”
While Hozier felt it was his duty to apologize, many people felt he still put on an amazing show. Especially the fans who were in the crowd.
“Despite the virus, your voice was amazing! Super pro! Thanks for incredible show! Feel better soon,” one fan wrote on Hozier’s Instagram.
“We loved your performance so much! Speedy recovery,” wrote another.
Hozier also made both Billboard and Rolling Stone’s lists for best of Gov Ball 2025. Even with being so sick that they had to postpone two shows, Hozier still puts on a fantastic performance.
