Phish have announced that due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 hammering New York City and the country, they’ve decided to reschedule their run of shows at Madison Square Garden. The band wrote that “the health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds.”

While Phish was able to safely perform over this year as the pandemic continued it is clear that the Omicron variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented. The shows are now set to take place on April 20-23, 2022. Fans will be able to commit to the rescheduled show dates set for the New Year and those who are unable to attend in April will be able to get a full refund at the point of purchase.

The band thanked everyone for their understanding and wrote, “Stay healthy and safe, take care of each other out there and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.”

Read the full statement below:

With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 surging in New York City, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule next week’s run of shows at Madison Square Garden. The health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds. While Phish has played shows this year as the pandemic has continued, this variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented. We are also mindful that a significant number of people travel for these shows and then return to their communities, and we want to avoid accelerating the transmission of the virus. Finally, even with the strictest of tour Covid protocols, the prolonged exposure of a four-night indoor run (plus the days of preparation and travel) to critical crew and staff considerably increases the possibility of having to shut the shows down once they’ve started. We’re fortunate to have found a four-night window in The Garden’s schedule, and the shows will now take place April 20-23, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22. Ticket holders can request a refund anytime over the next 30 days, beginning today, if they cannot commit to the rescheduled show date. If a refund is not requested during the allotted time, tickets will be valid for the new show date. Please note: If you purchased from an authorized ticket sales channel (Ticketmaster, Phish Tickets, CID or venue website) these ticketing partners will be contacting all buyers shortly with further instructions. Thank you all for your understanding. Stay healthy and safe, take care of each other out there and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.