Widespread Panic delays New Year’s shows until August, 2022

Blame the Omicron COVID surge
Widespread Panic front man John Bell on vocals and guitar. The nationally prominent Athens band performed New Year's and regularly appears at major music festivals.

Credit: Todd R. McQueen / AJC special

Credit: Todd R. McQueen / AJC special

Widespread Panic front man John Bell on vocals and guitar. The nationally prominent Athens band performed New Year's and regularly appears at major music festivals.

Georgia’s popular jam band Widespread Panic has postponed four shows at the Fox Theatre leading into New Year’s due to the spreading omicron variant.

Instead, ticket buyers will be able to see comparable concerts in August.

“The health and safety of our fans is always our top priority,” the Fox Theatre noted on its website. “Please hold on to your tickets as they will be good for the new show dates. No action is required on your part.”

So people who had tickets for Dec. 28 can attend the Aug. 10 show. For those planning for Dec. 29, the new date is Aug. 11. The Dec. 30 date is matched to Aug. 12. The New Year’s Eve show will now be on Aug. 13.

Ticket prices range from $75 to $147.50.

Fans unable to attend the new show dates can request a refund by emailing the ticket office at boxoffice@foxtheatre.org through Feb. 4, 2022, at 10 a.m. or call the ticket office at 855-285-8499 beginning Dec. 27, 2021, at 10 a.m. All refunds must be requested no later than 10 a.m. Feb. 4, 2022.

Widespread Panic, which has been around since the 1980s, started in Athens and has been a beloved arena act for years. The band has been doing New Year’s shows in Atlanta on and off over the past 25 years either at the Fox Theatre or what was called Philips Arena before it became State Farm Arena.