Olly Murs postpones Edinburgh Castle gig for a year but presses ahead with other UK shows

Pop superstar Olly Murs has postponed an outdoor concert at Edinburgh Castle for a year – but is pressing ahead with other shows in the UK this summer.

Olly Murs was due to appear at Edinburgh Castle in July, before the planned run of the Tattoo.

Promoters have announced that the only Scottish date on Murs’ planned tour has been postponed from 25 July this year until 8 July 2022.

He was one of two acts, along with The Script, who was due to perform as part of the annual Castle Concerts series.

Tickets for the rescheduled date in Edinburgh next year are due to go on sale today. An announcement about the planned show by The Script is expected within the next few weeks.

Planned shows by Murs in Belfast, Cardiff and Colwyn Bay in Wales, and Cork in Ireland, have also been postponed till next year, along with planned dates in London, Leeds, Norwich, Bath, Chewton Glen and Warwick.

However other shows across England, where social distancing restrictions at live events are due to be lifted by the end of June, are due to go ahead this summer, as well as a show in Swansea in Wales.

A spokesman for Regular Music, who organise the Castle Concerts, said Murs’ show had been postponed “due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic."

He added: “As much as we would all love to be able to go to a concert again with no social distancing in place, it has become clear that this July is probably just too soon to be able to do so.

Olly Murs announced a 25-date tour of the UK last October.

“The logistics of staging the concert and planning a tour by a major artist means that we all needed to be confident that we could operate at full capacity before going too far down the road and unfortunately, we’re not there yet.

“We can’t wait to return to this wonderful arena again next summer.”

Regular Music is also promoting a series of Summer Nights concerts at Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow, where Van Morrison, Primal Scream, Suzanne Vega, King Creosote, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Belinda Carlisle, Altered Images and Edwyn Collins are due to appear in July and August.

Announced his revamped toury, Murs said: “I'm just so happy I still get to go on tour across the UK this summer after the year we've had.

“We've worked hard to put on as many shows as we can this year and next, and I can't wait to get back out and bring some positivity and fun on stage to my fans.

“The thought of performing with my band, working with my crew, and seeing my fans is getting me through lockdown, so roll on the summer.”

Murs, who shot to fame when he was the runner-up on The X Factor in 2009, has since sold more than 10 million records worldwide.

He was due to make his third appearance at Edinburgh Castle esplanade following two previous appearances in 2011 and 2017.

Sir Rod Stewart, Blondie, Elton John, The Proclaimers, Leonard Cohen, Stereophonics, Sir Tom Jones, Pink, Wet Wet Wet join Emeli Sande, Olly Murs and Deacon Blue have all played outdoor concerts at Edinburgh Castle esplanade over the last 30 years. A series of Summer Sessions concerts are still due to go ahead in Princes Street Gardens this summer, including shows by Sir Tom Jones, Travis, Lionel Richie, Simple Minds, Michael Kiwanuka and the DMA's.

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