Focus forced to cancel remaining tour dates

(Image credit: Focus)

Dutch prog rock legends Focus have announced they have been forced to cancel their remaining UK and European tour dates on their Focus 50 tour after frontman Thijs Van Leer contacted Covid.

In a short statement, Focus's management said: "Thijs Van Leer, whilst being treated in hospital for an unrelated issue, has been diagnosed with COVID. This means that the rest of the UK tour dates have been postponed. Updates on the rescheduling of dates will follow."

The band were due to perform at Trading Boundaries in East Sussex tonight and tomorrow, and had dates in the UK at Dover, Chelmsford and London lined up before venturing over to Europe.

Focus are scheduled to return to the UK in April 2022.

Prog wishes Thijs a speedy recovery.

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.