Stormzy scraps Asian tour over coronavirus

British rap star Stormzy has postponed the Asian leg of his tour because of the coronavirus outbreak.

He had been due to play in locations including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia in March.

"Due to the ongoing health and travel concerns surrounding the coronavirus, I'm regrettably having to reschedule this leg of the tour," he wrote on Instagram.

More than 1,350 people have died from the virus in China.

"I was seriously looking forward to bringing the #HITH World tour to Asia and playing some epic sold out shows," the rapper said.

"Information regarding the rescheduled dates will follow in due course. Please contact your local ticket vendor for any further queries. I promise I'll be back."

Stormzy, who headlined the Glastonbury Festival last year, kicked off a major world tour in Dubai last week.

He had also been due to visit Japan, South Korea and Indonesia in March and April.

US rock group The Pixies have also cancelled three shows in China in February and March, but are still touring Japan.

Kenny G, 98 Degrees and Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley have also postponed upcoming dates in Singapore.

Sporting events have also been affected, with the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing and the F1 Grand Prix in Shanghai being postponed.

The UK Foreign Office is currently advising against all but essential travel to mainland China.

Stormzy will be back in London next week for the Brit Awards, where he is nominated for best British male, best British album and best British single.

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