Jeff Lynne’s ELO Cancels Concert Last Minute Due to ‘Illness’
via BBC Radio 2 / YouTube
Sudden Cancellation Before Showtime
Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) unexpectedly canceled their concert in Manchester on Thursday, July 10. The show was scheduled to take place at the Co-Op Live arena and was part of the band’s “Over and Out” tour.
Fans were already at the venue and were waiting for the support act to perform when the cancellation was announced. The band posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Unfortunately due to illness tonight’s scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne’s ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead. Jeff is devastated that he cannot perform this evening.”
Signs of Trouble the Night Before
The Manchester concert was supposed to be the second-to-last performance on the tour. The final show is set to happen Sunday at BST Hyde Park in London. Fans who attended the band’s earlier show in Manchester on Wednesday said that Lynne didn’t look well during the performance.
Lynne, 77, told the audience that he had recently injured his hand in a taxi-related incident and couldn’t play guitar that night. One attendee claimed on Facebook that Lynne “had to be helped onto the stage” and was “missing his cues.”
Looking Back Before the Final Show
In October 2024, ahead of this farewell run, Lynne said: “My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014. It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. We couldn’t be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ‘we’re gonna do it One More Time!’”
ELO, best known for songs like “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Evil Woman,” was formed in 1970 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan.
ELO’s Legacy and Lynne’s Later Work
Between 1970 and 1986, Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan were the group’s longest-standing members. After disbanding ELO in 1986, Lynne reunited the project in 2014 with keyboardist Richard Tandy under the name Jeff Lynne’s ELO.
Lynne also went on to form the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty. Over the years, ELO sold more than 50 million records and earned 27 songs on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.
