Maroon 5 cancels North Carolina over HB2

Maroon 5 is the latest musical act to cancel North Carolina over the state’s controversial House Bill 2.

The popular pop-rock band was scheduled to play two North Carolina shows, including Sept. 12 at Raleigh’s PNC Arena, but announced its cancellation with the statement below. Refunds will be available at point of purchase.

Maroon 5 is this week’s second major cancellation announcement after violinist Itzhak Perlman, who was to have performed Wednesday night in Raleigh with the NC Symphony. They join a lengthening list of HB2-related cancellations that includes Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Ani DiFranco and Cirque du Soleil.

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“We have announced that we will be canceling our upcoming shows in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina because of the recent passage of the HB2 legislation. This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band. We don’t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the end it comes down to what we feel is morally right as we feel everyone should be treated equally.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Maroon 5 cancels North Carolina over HB2."