JP Saxe Faces Tour Cancellation Amid Rising Costs and Slow Ticket Sales
TORONTO — Grammy-nominated artist JP Saxe is facing an uphill battle as his upcoming Make Yourself at Home North American tour teeters on the edge of cancellation. The Canadian singer-songwriter revealed via social media that unless he sells 20,000 tickets within 48 hours, the tour — originally scheduled for over 25 cities this fall — may be scrapped.
“I thought we could maybe do it,” Saxe said in a video interview with The Canadian Press. “It’s looking like maybe we can’t. And that’s sad, but also just part of what it means to be an artist.”
Why The Tour Is in Trouble
Despite a loyal fanbase and viral streaming hits like “If the World Was Ending” and “Hey Stupid, I Love You”, Saxe says touring doesn’t pay the bills the way many assume it does. His last tour — though mostly sold out — ended with a $200,000 loss.
“Touring is really expensive unless you do it in the most bare-bones way,” he explained. “This time, we didn’t do anything crazy — just a bass player, a bus — but even the basics are expensive.”
This latest tour was planned without financial backing from a label. Saxe is nearing the end of a three-album deal, and his label opted not to fund this round of shows. That left him fronting the full costs, which only balanced out if venues sold a critical mass of tickets.
Ticket Prices and Venue Challenges
Tickets for the Make Yourself at Home tour start around $50 — relatively affordable compared to major arena acts — yet sales remain sluggish, reflecting broader economic pressure in the live music industry.
“We tried to keep the prices as low as we possibly could,” Saxe said. “It’s more than a movie ticket, but a hell of a lot less than going to the Rogers Centre to see The Weeknd.”
The planned cities include Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, with venues mostly holding a few thousand fans. But even those mid-sized locations have become hard to fill in a post-inflation concert landscape.
Going Public With the Struggle
While most artists quietly cancel due to “scheduling conflicts,” Saxe made a deliberate decision to speak candidly about his tour’s financial reality.
“As a general rule, I’m always trying to practice sincerity in failure rather than the facade of success,” he said. “It’s tempting to always be projecting that everything is great, but I find that uninteresting and disingenuous.”
His honesty struck a chord online. His first video reached 1.5 million views on TikTok and garnered over 10,000 Instagram likes, with fans rallying behind his transparency.
A second video, showing fans singing along to “A Little Bit Yours”, hinted that there may still be hope:
“I thought it was impossible, but there’s a chance you’re saving this tour.”
The Bigger Picture for Touring Artists
Saxe’s story reflects a wider crisis for mid-tier touring musicians. Many are popular enough to fill theaters but not arenas — and the margins are razor-thin. With inflation driving up costs for buses, crews, and even venue rentals, profit is often elusive without label support or viral ticket surges.
“Even if we can do this tour, it won’t make money — but we won’t lose money. That was kind of the goal,” Saxe admitted.
What’s Next for JP Saxe
Whether the tour proceeds or not, Saxe remains committed to creating music with integrity.
“My goal in the broader sense is to continue to make art in the most transparent way possible. I didn’t get into making music to hide from anyone — quite the opposite.”
For now, fans are waiting to see if their support can tip the scale and keep the tour alive.
Do you think smaller touring artists deserve more industry support? Would you buy a ticket to help save a tour like JP Saxe’s? Share your thoughts and read more music trends on ChicagoMusicGuide.com.