Spanish singer Pablo Alborán has been diagnosed with severe pneumonia and ordered by doctors to take total rest, forcing him to cancel a sold-out concert in Ciudad Real, Spain, that had been scheduled for August 21.
Alborán's team announced the diagnosis on his social media accounts on Thursday, August 20, a day before the Ciudad Real date. In the statement, the singer said he had just been diagnosed with severe pneumonia and that, on medical advice, he had to rest completely over the following days, which meant cancelling the show planned for the next day. He thanked fans for filling what he called a very special concert and said he hoped to see them again soon.
Singer asks fans for calm
Alborán followed the initial announcement with a request for restraint from his fans and the media. He said he appreciated the concern but asked that the information be treated with rigour and calm, avoiding clickbait or headlines that could cause unnecessary worry for his family. He described it as just a case of pneumonia, said he was already on a course of antibiotics that would have him back to normal soon, and said his focus now was on resting, taking care of himself and recovering properly so he could keep enjoying the adventures still ahead.
In a separate, more personal message, Alborán apologised directly to fans who had planned to attend the Ciudad Real show. He thanked people for their messages and expressions of support, said he was sorry for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation, and noted that the concert had sold out with many fans travelling long distances to attend. He said it frustrated him greatly but that he could not give fans a show under these conditions, adding that they deserved 200 percent from him. He said he planned to rest for a few days until he was fully recovered, and signed off with a big hug.
A packed summer schedule
The health scare brought a sudden halt to what had been an intense stretch of work for Alborán, who had been performing across Spain for weeks as part of his ambitious 'KM0' tour project. The Ciudad Real concert had been one of the high points of his August schedule, with tickets sold out for weeks beforehand.
Alborán, from Málaga, is one of Spain's best-known singer-songwriters, having built a career on romantic ballads and Spanish-language pop since rising to prominence in the late 2000s. The 'KM0' project has seen him tour extensively through Spanish cities over the summer.
What comes next
The period of enforced rest raises questions over the rest of Alborán's calendar in the coming weeks. Recovering from pneumonia requires not only a halt to normal physical activity but also careful management of lung capacity and vocal cords before returning to the demands of a two-hour live show of the kind he is known for.
Two commitments remain on the horizon. Alborán is due to appear at the charity 'Festival de la Luz' in Boimorto, in the A Coruña province of Galicia, on August 30. He is also set to begin an international leg of touring in Latin America starting September 27. For now, his team says his health has to come first.
Messages of support
Fellow artists including Leire Martínez, Rosa López and Lamari have sent Alborán messages of encouragement as he deals with the diagnosis, alongside an outpouring of support from his fans on social media.
