Sum 41's Australian tour canceled after Deryck Whibley hospitalized

Sum 41 have canceled their entire Australian tour, including their gig at the Good Things Festival, due to frontman Deryck Whibley's battle with pneumonia.

The band announced the decision on 5 December, citing medical advice from Australian doctors who deemed Whibley too unwell to play.

“It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce that our 2024 Australian tour is unable to go ahead,” the band said in a statement on social media. “We were very excited to deliver this tour from December 4th to December 12th and connect with our Australian fans once again.”

“Now that we are here though, and under the guidance and direction of many Australian doctors, it is clear that Derrick is not well enough to perform. We understand and appreciate your frustration – we are disappointed too.”

The statement continued: “The good news is that Good Things Festival is still going on in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this weekend with an incredible line-up of local and international acts. We can't be there but get along for ourselves and have the best time.”

The tour was planned to support Sum 41's eighth and final album, Heaven :x: Hellwhich was released in March. The dates were highly anticipated as part of the band's farewell tour, leading up to their final show at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena in January 2025.

The cancellation follows the band's earlier decision to cancel their December 4 side show at Brisbane's Fortitude Valley Music Hall. At the time, the band said: “Unfortunately, we have to make the difficult decision to cancel tonight's show in Brisbane due to Deryck's diagnosis with pneumonia. He is receiving the best possible local care.”

This is the second time Australian fans have missed out on seeing the Canadian rockers due to Whibley's health. In 2011, the band canceled their appearance at the Soundwave Festival after Whibley was hospitalized with pneumonia.

For their final act, Sum 41 will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the 54th Annual JUNO Awards on March 30, 2025, in Vancouver.

Despite the setback, the Good Things Festival will go ahead as planned, with Korn headlining the tri-city event alongside acts such as Violent Femmes, Jet, Northlane and Billy Corgan.

“All 41 are broke and unable to perform and we fully understand and appreciate the fans' disappointment,” festival organizers said in a statement. “Derrick's health and well-being is the focus and priority, however, and we hope you will join us in sending him well wishes for his recovery.”

The festival kicks off in Melbourne on December 6, followed by dates in Sydney and Brisbane. Ticket holders for Sum 41 shows will receive refund information shortly.

After winning his first No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart in more than two decades earlier this year, Sum 41 scored another No. 1 of “Dopamine” in the November 30 survey.

The song follows the two-week Alternative Airplay command for “Landmines” in March. The latter led 22 years, five months and three weeks after the first No. 1 on Sum 41, “Fat Lip”, in August 2001, rewriting the record for the longest hiatus between rulers for an act in the chart's 36-year history.

It broke the previous best, held by the Killers, who waited 13 years and six months between the reign of “When You Were Young” in 2006 and “Caution” in 2020.

Whibley's recently published memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hellalso became no. 1 bestseller on Amazon's punk biographies chart after debuting in October. In the deeply personal autobiography, the frontman reflects on his rise to fame with Sum 41, navigating the heights of international success and accolades such as Grammy and MTV Video Music Award nominations.