How Drake went from rehearsing in Memphis to canceling show + why we think he'll reschedule

For a week in June, rap superstar Drake was holed up at Memphis’ FedExForum rehearsing for his It’s All a Blur Tour, which was supposed have launched at the venue June 29.

But that June show was postponed to Aug. 6 — before the latter date was canceled on Monday, leaving disappointed fans scratching their heads and awaiting ticket refunds to the sold-out concert.

According to a statement from Drake's representatives given to FedExForum: "Due to the magnitude of the production of the Drake concert, it is logistically impossible to bring the show as designed to the FedExForum on August 6th. Unfortunately, the show is cancelled."

The statement's wording left fans and media members somewhat perplexed. How could a show and production that had already been set up and staged at FedExForum for a week during rehearsals, suddenly be “logistically impossible” to bring to Memphis?

According to a FedExForum official, the issue wasn't that the show's design couldn't fit into venue, as some speculated online, but rather that breaking down and transporting the production in time for the next scheduled date would be impossible.

On his current tour, Drake is typically playing two- or three-night stands in major markets, with a break of multiple days before moving to the next city. The exceptions during the August leg of the tour were two single shows in smaller markets, Memphis and Milwaukee.

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Drake’s show in Milwaukee on Aug. 3 had to be bumped back a day to Aug 4, to allow for the production to be broken down and transported in time. Given the snowball effect of setting up and breaking down the show from city to city, it appears Memphis was the date that had to, unfortunately, be sacrificed.

Will Drake reschedule in Memphis?

So why didn't Drake and promoter Live Nation reschedule and find another workable date in Memphis (so far, the It’s All a Blur Tour is set to run through October and is expected to continue into 2024)?

The answer to that likely has to do with the Memphis Grizzlies, FedExForum's main tenant. The Grizzlies' schedule, along with that of the rest of the NBA, will not be announced for at least two more weeks.

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“If the Forum knew the Grizzlies' schedule, my gut tells me they would have rescheduled Drake,” said a source close to FedExForum and in the local concert business. “But they don’t know what the schedule for the building is going to be over the next few months, until the NBA locks in their dates. So, Memphis was the unfortunate domino that had to fall.”

So far, Drake has not commented on the Memphis show's cancellation on social media.

Assuming Drake continues to tour through the fall and into 2024, it seems likely he will book another date and make amends to Memphis, which he has proudly hailed as his spiritual home, where his father and extended family live, and where he was recently given a key to Shelby County.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Drake canceled Memphis concert; will show be rescheduled?