Morrissey Cancels Valencia Concert, Blames Fallas Noise and Lack of Sleep

British singer Morrissey, the frontman of The Smiths, cancelled his concert in Valencia, which was scheduled for the evening of 12 March at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía. According to the artist, the reason was lack of sleep: he was unable to rest at night because of the noisy Fallas celebrations in the city.

The cancellation notice appeared on the musician’s official website. It says that after a two-day drive from Milan, Morrissey arrived in Valencia late in the evening but could not recover because of the noise.

“Because of the festival / loud techno-chanting / megaphone announcements, he could neither sleep nor rest during the night. This experience sent Morrissey into a catatonic state,” the official statement said.

The Valencia show was supposed to be the first of Morrissey’s three concerts in Spain as part of a European tour in support of his new album Make-up Is a Lie. The 1,500 tickets sold out within minutes of going on sale.

Meanwhile, the singer’s shows in Zaragoza (14 March) and Seville (16 March), according to promoters, are still set to go ahead.

It is not yet known whether the Valencia concert will be rescheduled or whether organisers will offer refunds.