Michael Franti Cancels Welcome to the Family Tour in Response to Controversy

Michael Franti has canceled all forthcoming live appearances, including the dates of his Welcome to the Family Tour, as a result of sexual misconduct and grooming allegations that surfaced online last week. 

“This is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to write,” Franti acknowledged in a note that was posted to his Instagram story on Wednesday, August 20. “Recent events online have left me disheartened and my spirit isn’t in the place it needs to be to get on stage and give you the joy and energy you deserve.”

“The remaining dates on the Welcome To The Family Tour will be canceled. I’m devastated to disappoint you, but I hope you understand that I need this pause to be with my family,” the musician wrote. Notably, he was scheduled to perform on Tuesday, August 26, at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Calif., before the current outcome. 

Franti’s Soulshine at Sea Festival was officially canceled in response to the allegations. In a post addressing the decision, the organizers, Sixthman, referenced “recent events” as the catalyst behind the dropped occasion. Before the festival made its choice to end it for all, select acts publicly dissociated from Franti’s performance endeavors, on tour, and the festival at large.

Soulshine at Sea’s statement came after Tank and the Bangas shared that they would no longer join Michael Franti & Spearhead’s Welcome to the Family Tour, writing, “While we are not aware of any specific details related to the matter, in ligh of the recent post made about the artist, we have made the difficult decision to not participate, until we have a better understanding of the facts.”

In the comment section, Victoria Canal, a former Franti collaborator–the pair recorded “The Flower” together in 2019–expressed gratitude to Tank using a pair of emojis, healing heart and prayer hands. Notably, Tank and the Bangas’ post arrived five days after Canal broke her silence online in a 12-slide Instagram post that conveyed mistreatment and manipulation at the hands of an unnamed “very powerful, decades older man.”