Rihanna was to headline the inaugural Lollapalooza Colombia in Bogotá this September, but this week pulled out of the gig over concerns about contracting Zika virus. Lollapalooza subsequently issued a statement explaining that there would not be enough time to find a replacement headliner, and thus the organizers were forced to cancel the Colombia festival. Tickets for the event will be refunded, and other Lollapalooza festivals will not be affected. The inaugural Lollapalooza Colombia also featured Lana Del Rey, Wiz Khalifa, Disclosure, and the Chainsmokers in its lineup.
Rihanna is by no means the only high-profile personality forgoing a trip to South America this year because of Zika-related concerns. A significant contingent of athletes will not be participating in the Rio Olympics this summer because of the high Zika risk in Brazil, and athletes that will be participating will be proceeding with extreme caution. People reports that U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo doesn’t plan on leaving her hotel room, outside of practice, while four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams is “not taking Zika lightly” and “will be going everywhere protected.”
