Swedish melodic death metal band Hypocrisy has announced that they are forced to cancel their North American Tour. This was due to a visa issue, which the band addressed on Instagram. They formed in Sweden in the early 1990s, with a diehard following in North America. The Mass Hallucination Over North American Tour was highly anticipated among metal fans. The 12-date tour was scheduled from August 10 to August 23, making stops in Canada and throughout the US, wrapping up in Los Angeles.
Hypocrisy released a statement on the band’s Instagram page, addressing the cancellations.
“Due to visa issues beyond our control, we won’t be able to make it to the North American tour. We’re devastated and truly sorry – we did everything we could. We’re not giving up. We’ll keep working to make this right and get to you as soon as we can! Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support! If you have any questions about refunds, please contact your original ticket seller.”
This isn’t the first time Hypocrisy has canceled a North American Tour. In 2009, the band canceled two U.S. tours due to working visa delays. The band rescheduled the tour in 2010 and successfully made up for the cancellation. They are expected to do the same 17 years later. They have a loyal U.S. metal fanbase that has taken to social media with understanding and sympathetic words for the group rather than negative responses.
Hypocrisy formed in 1991 in Ludvika, Sweden. Their most well-known melodic death metal tracks include “Roswell 47” (1996), “Eraser” (1997), and “Paled Empty Sphere” (1999). A Norwegian black metal band, Dimmu Borgir, was attached to the tour lineup as well.
OTHER CANCELLED TOURS DUE TO VISA ISSUES
Many bands and artists have experienced similar visa issues in recent years. In May 2026, English rock band Enter Shikari faced visa issues and subsequently canceled their North American Tour. In 2025, legendary British punk band U.K. Subs were denied entry to the U.S. due to visa issues. Back in 2017, several international acts were also denied entry, which prevented them from performing at the SXSW music festival. These groups included Massive Scar Era from Egypt and Yussef Kamaal and United Vibrations, both from the U.K.
Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns