Queens of the Stone Age cancel European shows amid Josh Homme’s emergency surgery
Queens of the Stone Age has canceled their remaining July tour dates in Europe after frontman Josh Homme returned to the U.S. to undergo “emergency surgery.”
“QOTSA regret to announce that Josh Homme must return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery,” the band wrote on Instagram Tuesday morning.
“Every effort was made to push through and play for you, but it is no longer an option to continue,” they said.
The group did not provide further information about the 51-year-old Homme’s condition or how long it will take for him to recover.
“Queens are gutted we aren’t able to play for you,” the group captioned the Instagram post. “We apologize for any inconvenience and share in your frustration and disappointment.”
Late last week, the group bowed out of the AMA Music Festival on July 5 in Italy “due to illness” without offering more information. However, a performance in Milan went ahead as scheduled the following day.
A total of nine performances are being canceled from July 10 to 27, including headlining and festival shows in Vitrolles, France; Trencin, Slovakia; Berlin; Ostrava, Czech Republic; Vienna; Cluj, Romania; Zagreb, Croatia; and Athens.
The band currently has seven additional European tour dates scheduled in August before returning to the U.S. for additional dates in September and October, starting in Boston on Sept. 27.
Homme told Revolver magazine last year he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer in 2022 and had successful surgery to remove it.
