Maxwell’s South African shows cancelled; refunds to be issued

Fans in Pretoria and Cape Town will not see Maxwell perform as planned after organisers cancelled his South African concerts. Event promoter Vertex Events confirmed the cancellation, saying the singer is no longer able to travel to South Africa.

What was scheduled

Maxwell’s performances were scheduled for 8 August at SunBet Arena in Pretoria and 11 August at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town.

Reason for the cancellation

Vertex Events said the shows were cancelled because of unforeseen circumstances beyond the artist’s control. The promoter said Maxwell’s management informed them the singer would no longer be able to travel to South Africa despite efforts by both parties to find alternatives.

“Several options were explored between Maxwell’s team and Vertex Events. Unfortunately, the only option left was to cancel the shows,” the promoter said in a statement.

The promoter added that the circumstances were beyond the control of both the organisers and the artist, and that neither party had breached their contractual agreement. Vertex Events described the relationship with Maxwell’s team as professional throughout the process.

Artist response

In a message to South African fans, Maxwell said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond my control, I’m unfortunately no longer able to perform in South Africa as planned. This decision wasn’t made lightly. I sincerely apologise to everyone who was looking forward to the shows. I appreciate your understanding and continued support. I hope to be back with you all soon,”.

Refunds and future plans

Vertex Events said extensive efforts were made to reschedule the concerts within 2026 but no suitable dates could be secured because of unavoidable scheduling constraints. The promoter said Maxwell remains committed to returning to South Africa and is working with Vertex Events to secure new dates in 2027.

Ticket holders will receive full refunds. The article says Webtickets is expected to contact customers directly regarding the refund process.

Production status

Vertex Events said preparations for the concerts had been completed, with venues booked and production logistics finalised ahead of what were expected to be sold-out performances.