The 1975 cancel all tour dates for 2021

Matty Healy and The 1975 were nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2016 and 2019

The 1975 have scrapped all of their 2021 tour dates due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The band were due to play a number of dates in Europe, including an open-air show in London's Finsbury Park, which had been rescheduled from summer 2020.

In a statement, the band said they were "really sorry" to let their fans down.

Yet they said cancelling was the best option "until we can be sure that we will be able to play shows in a way that is safe for our fans and crew".

Calling off the shows would also ensure "where possible, everyone can get their tickets refunded sooner rather than later," the group added.

The 1975's European tour was due to start in February and was due to reach London in July. The band had then planned to perform in the US.

They are not the only band to abandon their touring plans, with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds calling off their 2021 concerts shortly before Christmas.

• The 1975: 'We want to be every single band'

Others have pushed gigs back to the end of the year, hoping the virus will be under control by then.

The situation illustrates the difficulties facing the live music industry, which has been decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

New 1975 album

More than 90% of concerts planned for 2020 were called off and, despite the arrival of vaccines and rapid-turnaround tests, there are still uncertainties about when concerts can resume.

Organisers have also faced difficulties in obtaining cancellation insurance, putting huge sums of money at stake if their event is called off.

Last week a group of MPs wrote to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, asking him to launch a Covid-19 insurance scheme to protect the UK's festival industry.

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Yet there was some good news for The 1975's fans, with the band confirming they are working on a follow-up to 2020's Notes on a Conditional Form.

"We're currently making a new album and look forward to seeing you all at a show as soon as it is safe to do so," the band wrote on social media.

Frontman Matty Healy also told fans he had been collaborating with label mate Beabadoobee and pop iconoclast Charli XCX.