By James Bickerton
Copyright newsweek
British singer-songwriter Steven Morrissey, widely known simply as ‘Morrissey,’ has cancelled two tour dates in New England following what his team initially described as a “credible threat” to his life.Newsweek contacted Morrissey’s team via email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.Why It MattersMorrissey’s move follows the assassination of prominent conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University campus on September 10, along with the fatal shooting of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June.The killings have sparked concern over the safety of prominent individuals, with Alex Goldenberg, a senior advisor to the Network Contagion Research Institute, telling Newsweek he fears the U.S. is developing an “assassination culture.”What To KnowOn Friday two posts were made on Morrissey’s official Instagram account announcing the cancellation of two shows, one on Friday at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and the other on Saturday at MGM Music Hall in Boston.According to Fox News and The New York Post, the initial post announcing the Foxwoods Resort Casino show had been cancelled said: “In recent days, there has been a credible threat on Morrissey’s life.”However, as of 10:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, neither Instagram post referenced a threat to life, instead saying the shows had been cancelled “due to recent events and out of an abundance of caution.”It added all tickets for both events would be refunded.Earlier this week authorities in Canada arrested a 26-year-old man in Ottawa who they allege threatened to kill Morrissey on Bluesky, a social media platform, at the city’s CityFolk music festival.The Ottawa Citizen reported the individual allegedly posted: “Steven Patrick Morrissey when you perform at TD Place here in Ottawa next week on the evening of September 12th, 2025 at about 9pm, I will be present at the venue in the audience and I will attempt to shoot you many times and kill you with a very large gun that I own illegally.”The man was charged with uttering threats to cause death and released on a $5,000 bond. There is no suggestion he is in connected in any way to the latest cancellations.Morrissey, the 66-year-old former Smiths frontman, has made a number of controversial political interventions in recent years.In 2019, he appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon wearing a pin supporting For Britain, a now defunct small right-wing party in the U.K. that was critical of Islam.He also described Halal meat production as “evil” and wrongly suggested it can “only be given by supporters of ISIS.”What People Are SayingMorrissey’s Instagram posts said: “Due to recent events and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of both the artist and band, the upcoming shows this weekend at Foxwoods and MGM Music Hall have been cancelled.”All tickets will be refunded automatically at your original point of purchase. We appreciate your understanding.”What Happens Next?According to his official Instagram, Morrissey has upcoming gigs in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah and Washington state. There is no suggestion any of these have been impacted by the cancellation.
