Garth Brooks considers rescheduling tour over delta variant

Garth Brooks says he’s reassessing whether to continue with his stadium tour amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country.

“It breaks my heart to see city after city go on sale and then have to ask those sweet people and the venues to reschedule,” Brooks said in a Tuesday statement.

The “Friends in Low Places” singer — who had announced his nationwide tour to much fanfare in June — said following an Aug. 14 show at Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium that his team will evaluate whether to continue.

“We have a three-week window coming up where we, as a group, will assess the remainder of the stadium tour this year,” Brooks said. “It’s humbling to see people put this much faith in you as an artist, and it kills me to think I am letting them down.”

The announcement by the country music star comes as the COVID-19 delta variant has spread across the country. The seven-day average for COVID-19 has risen in recent weeks to 85,866 cases per day as of Monday, the highest point since Valentine’s Day, according to data from The New York Times.

Brooks is poised to play a concert Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Officials there said a pre-show vaccination event is planned, as well as a raffle in which vaccinated concertgoers could win seat upgrades.

Brooks, 59, said on his Facebook Live series “Inside Studio G” earlier this week, “It’s getting real sticky out there.”

“Follow all the rules. Make your own rules up, too,” the musician said, as he urged attendees to sport face masks.

“Nobody is going to look at you strange, I promise,” Brooks said. “You can’t be safe enough.”

Updated at 10:41 a.m.