Morrissey spent the night counting sheep.
The “Suedehead” singer, 66, canceled his sold-out concert at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain, on Thursday, March 12, due to “sleep deprivation.”
A post on Morrissey’s official website stated that after spending two days driving from Milan to his hotel in Valencia, the former frontman of The Smiths was unable to get a good night’s rest on Wednesday, March 11, because of the coastal city’s notoriously rowdy Las Fallas festival celebrating St. Joseph.
“Any form of sleep or rest throughout the night was impossible due to festival noise / loud techno singing / megaphone announcements,” the message read. “This experience has left Morrissey in a catatonic state.”
In a follow-up post, Morrissey said he would not characterize his show as “canceled” but rather “impossible” to carry out considering the “circumstances.”
The Grammy nominee described his hotel stay as “indescribable hell” in a third message later on Thursday, dramatically writing, “It will take me one year to recover. And that is an understatement.”
None of the posts included information about refunds for ticketholders. However, the venue’s website shared that fans would receive their money back “shortly … through the same payment method used for their purchase.” The page also noted that the concert had been canceled “due to circumstances beyond the promoter’s control.”
The infamously temperamental Morrissey is no stranger to calling off performances. In fact, the website WeHeartMusic keeps a running tally, which is now up to 408 out of 1,725 shows dating back to 1982. (The page does, however, include the caveat that some of the gigs were “postponed” or “abbreviated” rather than canceled entirely.)
So far in 2026 alone, the rock star has pulled out of six concerts and delayed one, according to the site.
Morrissey is in the midst of a European tour to promote his 14th solo studio album, Make-Up Is a Lie, which he released on March 6. He has two more shows coming up in Spain: one at the Auditorio de Zaragoza in Zaragoza on Saturday, March 14, and another at the Cartuja Center in Seville on Monday, March 16.
The English icon (full name Steven Patrick Morrissey) has been a successful solo artist since 1988 after rising to fame as a founding member of The Smiths from 1982 to 1987. The indie band’s lineup also included guitarist Johnny Marr, drummer Mike Joyce and late bass player Andy Rourke.
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