The Smashing Pumpkins, the '90s alternative rock band from Chicago, have announced the cancellation of their highly anticipated debut tour in India, citing unforeseen logistical challenges. The band, fronted by Billy Corgan, was scheduled to perform in Bengaluru on October 11th and Mumbai on October 12th as part of their "Rock Invasion 2025 Asia Tour".
In a statement released on their Facebook page on Saturday, the band explained that they were unable to deliver concerts that meet their standards and those of their fans due to circumstances beyond their control. "Due to unexpected logistical challenges and conditions out of our control, we have to cancel our two upcoming shows in Bangalore and Mumbai," the statement read. "We cannot perform these shows up to the standards that we and our fans expect".
The tour was presented by EVA Live, a live event company that has previously brought artists like Bryan Adams to India and is also set to bring Enrique Iglesias to the country in October. EVA Live's founder and managing director, Deepak Chaudhary, had previously called bringing The Smashing Pumpkins to India "a landmark achievement for the live music ecosystem in this country".
The Smashing Pumpkins, formed in Chicago in 1988, were expected to bring a three-decade-spanning setlist to India, featuring iconic songs such as "Tonight, Tonight," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," and "1979". The lineup for the India shows was set to include founding members Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with live tour members Jack Bates on bass, Kiki Wong on guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Katie Cole. Their most recent album, "Aghori Mhori Mei," was released in 2024.
News of the cancellation has been met with disappointment from fans, some of whom had been anticipating the shows for months. Some fans have speculated that low ticket sales may have contributed to the cancellation, while others have pointed to potential issues with stage sound and logistics.
The "Rock Invasion 2025 Asia Tour" marks the band's first full-scale tour of the region in over a decade, including stops in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Jakarta, Singapore, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi. The India leg of the tour was highly anticipated as the band's first venture into the country.
