Fans of Jeff Lynne’s ELO were left heartbroken when their highly anticipated concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena was suddenly cancelled mere moments before the band was set to take the stage. A palpable wave of disappointment swept through the crowd as ticketholders were informed that the show would not go ahead.
In an announcement on X, the band revealed that the cancellation was due to “illness,” with Jeff Lynne expressing his devastation at being unable to perform. “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,” the band stated.
Disheartened fans took to social media to express their frustration, with one sharin”Tonight’s ELO concert cancelled at 8.10 pm. Jeff Lynne too ill. Devastated. Hope he’s okay. Had tickets since December.”
Another fan exclaimed in disbelief, “THEY CANCELLED ELO TONIGHT BECAUSE JEFF IS ILL? YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP WE’RE ALL BEING BOOTED OUT!”
A third fan lamented, “Jeff Lynne’s ELO cancelled 12 MINUTES before they’re due on stage. That’s tragic.”
The band had successfully completed the first night of their Manchester stint just the evening prior, where Jeff disclosed a hand injury he sustained while in London. “I was in London, and a taxi dashed off from where he was coming from and smashed my hand. It really hurt at the time. That’s why I haven’t got a guitar – I normally would have,” he shared.
A concertgoer from Wednesday’s performance spoke to The Mirror about Jeff’s apparent struggle on stage due to the injury. “At the start of the set, he came on and couldn’t play the guitar because he has injured his hand. He sounded shaky to begin with, but his singing and energy picked up and was great until the last 10 minutes of the show.” The audience watched as a chair was brought onto the stage for him to sit down for the final songs, leaving many worried as he appeared unsteady on his feet and needed assistance off-stage.
“It was clear he really wasn’t well; fans at the gig could see he wasn’t himself, and it is sad to witness,” the concertgoer lamented.