Bay Area fans left stunned as Lionel Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire concert called off over medical emergency moments before showtime

A medical scare involving a member of Earth, Wind & Fire forced Lionel Richie’s San Francisco concert to be postponed Thursday night, leaving fans waiting outside the Chase Center just minutes before the show was set to begin.
The arena announced the sudden delay shortly after 7:20 p.m., just before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start time, citing an emergency involving a band member. The person’s identity, condition and details surrounding the incident were not immediately revealed.
“Tonight’s show with Lionel Ritchie will be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced soon,” the Chase Center said in a statement. “Ticket holders should retain their tickets, which will be honored for the new date, or refunds will be available at the point of purchase.”
It remained unclear whether Earth, Wind & Fire’s portion of the performance would also be rescheduled.
The concert was set to take place at the Chase Center, the $1.4 billion home arena of the Golden State Warriros in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.
Richie canceled two concerts in June in the wake of his onstage dizzy spell and subsequent hospitalization.
The venue, which opened in September 2019 at 1 Warriors Way, was financed entirely by the Warriors ownership group and private investors, with no public taxpayer money used in its construction.