Justin Timberlake’s fans aren’t happy, and they’re making it known. The pop star abruptly canceled his final U.S. stop on the Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday night, citing the flu. But the timing of the announcement—allegedly just minutes before the show—has left many concertgoers feeling blindsided and frustrated.
Announcement Comes Too Late for Many
Timberlake, 44, shared the disappointing news on Instagram, explaining that he had tried to push through but ultimately couldn’t go on.
“You guys. I’m heartbroken,” he wrote. “I went into soundcheck battling the flu and now it’s gotten the best of me.”
That didn’t sit well with some fans, especially those who had already arrived at the venue. Reports indicate that many people were inside Nationwide Arena when they received the cancellation notice. Some had even traveled long distances and booked non-refundable hotels, expecting the concert to go ahead as planned.
“It kills me to disappoint you and my team who worked so hard to make this show happen,” Timberlake added in his statement. But for many, the damage was already done.
Fans Express Outrage Over Last-Minute Notice
Social media quickly erupted with complaints from furious ticket holders. The biggest issue? The timing.
- “Canceling because of being sick is understandable,” one fan wrote. “Canceling 10 minutes before the doors were to open is unacceptable.”
- Another frustrated attendee echoed, “Dude, waiting till the last minute totally sucked.”
- “Doors shouldn’t have been opened if you knew at sound check you weren’t feeling good,” someone else pointed out. “Some of us traveled and rescheduled hotels not once but twice that is non-refundable.”
For some, this wasn’t even the first time Timberlake had let them down.
A Pattern of Cancellations?
This isn’t the first time Timberlake has postponed or canceled a show on short notice. Back in October, his Newark, NJ, concert was called off due to an undisclosed injury. That decision left fans scrambling, as there was no immediate rescheduled date.
Now, with Columbus suffering the same fate, many feel it’s becoming a pattern.
- “This is literally the second time this has happened, and there’s not even a reschedule,” one fan fumed. “We drove 3 hours and paid for a hotel room, and you tell us 5 minutes before it starts that it’s canceled. Unacceptable.”
Another person shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing fans exiting Nationwide Arena in frustration. “Everyone leaving Nationwide Arena because Justin Timberlake canceled the LAST tour date after already rescheduling from October,” the caption read.
What’s Next for Timberlake’s Tour?
Despite the backlash, Timberlake isn’t slowing down. His Forget Tomorrow World Tour is set to continue in South America next month, kicking off with a performance at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 21.
Just one day before the Columbus cancellation, the singer posted a tribute to his tour crew on Instagram.
“Only one more show to go… and I wanted to take a minute to shout out this incredible tour family,” he wrote. “These are the people who keep this whole thing running. So much love. Let’s do it ONE MORE TIME tomorrow night in Columbus.”
Except, that “one more time” never happened.
For now, Timberlake has promised full refunds for the missed Columbus show. But for some fans, that won’t make up for the lost time, travel costs, and sheer disappointment.
