On October 21, 2025, Highline Entertainment announced that the North American leg of Wonho’s 2025 world tour “STAY AWAKE” has been canceled. The label attributed the decision to “operational issues and administrative delays encountered by the local promoter,” and shared the official notice publicly. Soon after, the local promoter StageSlash also issued a statement of apology. 

The timeline at a glance

• September 26, 2025 — Tour announced: Wonho revealed a 10-city North America run for mid-November to early December (Toronto → Los Angeles), following his 2025 world-tour rollout. 

• Venue listings go live: Major rooms like Terminal 5 (NYC) posted show pages; some now reflect “Cancelled.”

• October 21, 2025 — Cancellation notice: Highline’s formal statement cites promoter-side operational/administrative problems; StageSlash posts a corresponding apology.

What the statements say

Highline’s notice specifies that the tour “would not proceed as planned due to operational issues and administrative delays encountered by the local promoter,” language that places the primary cause with the on-the-ground organizer. Soompi’s report links to the notices and captures both the label’s and the promoter’s positions. 

What this means for ticket holders

• Refunds/next steps: The standard process in North America is that the point of purchase(AXS/Ticketmaster/venue box office) processes refunds upon official cancellation. Terminal 5’s page already marks the show Cancelled, which typically triggers refunds through the original seller; fans should check order emails and their ticketing accounts for updates. 

• Official guidance: Monitor Highline/Wonho official channels and your venue’s site for refund timelines and any exchange options (if offered). Soompi’s roundup embeds the official notices for reference. 

Why cancellations like this happen

International tours rely on a tight chain of logistics: venue holds, deposits, local staffing, visas, freight, and marketing rollouts. If a promoter runs into administrative delays—for example, contracting or permitting timelines—late-breaking compliance issues can cascade across routing, forcing a full pull rather than piecemeal postponements. Highline’s phrasing explicitly points to promoter-side complications rather than artist health or label constraints. 

The bigger picture for K-pop touring in 2025

The North American live market has been volatile post-pandemic: tighter margins, higher production/transport costs, and condensed calendars. When a newer promoter is handling a multi-city run, small process slips can become tour-wide issues—especially on shows scheduled only weeks out from on-sale. In this case, the NYC venue’s “Cancelled” status confirms the practical outcome for at least one key stop. 

For WENEE: how to pivot your plans

1. Secure your refund via your original ticketing platform; watch for automatic reversals before filing a manual request. Venue pages (like Terminal 5) are a good real-time barometer. 

2. Keep receipts (order numbers, emails, bank statements) in case processing takes longer than expected.

3. Follow official accounts for any future re-routing in 2026 or one-off fan events that might replace certain cities; Soompi’s piece links the official notices you can track. 

What would rebuild trust next time

• More lead time between announce and on-sale for complex multi-city runs.

• Transparent contingency comms (clear refund lines, FAQs, and venue-by-venue status pages).

• Third-party verification (venues listing “On Sale” and then “Cancelled/Rescheduled” in sync with official notices) to reduce confusion—something we’ve already seen with Terminal 5.