R&B girl group TLC has pulled out of their performance at Sunday's Friday Jams Live event in Auckland after one of their "core touring party" tested positive for COVID-19.
The group, who rose to fame in the 1990s with hits such as 'No Scrubs' and 'Waterfalls', was due to perform at the all-day event this evening at Western Springs Stadium.
In a statement to Instagram, the event organisers confirmed that a case of COVID-19 in their touring party had caused the duo - comprising Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas - to back out of their slot.
"We would like to advise that due to a positive COVID case within TLC's core touring party, TLC is unable to perform at ZM's Friday Jams Live today, Sunday 13 November, at Western Springs Stadium, Auckland New Zealand," the organisers wrote in an Instagram Story on Sunday morning.
"The band sincerely apologises to fans for the inconvenience and disappointment. Updated Friday Jams Live set times will be announced shortly."
TLC were scheduled to take the stage at 7:45pm as the festival's penultimate act, ahead of headliner Macklemore at 9pm.
Other acts in Sunday's lineup include Akon, Ashanti, Shaggy and Craig David.
Friday Jams Live was last held in 2019, with nearly 30,000 Kiwis congregating at Western Springs Stadium to watch Janet Jackson, The Black Eyed Peas, Jason Derulo and 50 Cent. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event did not take place in 2020 or 2021.
The one-day festival, which brings together R&B and hip-hop acts from multiple eras of music, launched in 2017 at Auckland's Spark Arena before relocating to Western Springs Stadium in 2018. The series is the creation of local event promoters Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring as well as the ZM network.
