Eric Clapton said he will not be playing shows at venues that require attendees to produce proof of vaccination.
The musician shared the news via the Telegram account of Italian architect and COVID skeptic Robin Monotti, in response to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Monday announcement that people wishing to enter nightclubs and venues would be required to provide vaccine passes.
"Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honour bound to make an announcement of my own," Clapton wrote in his statement. "I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show. Eric Clapton."
The message included a link to the 2020 song "Stand & Deliver," which was a collaboration between Clapton and Van Morrison.
Clapton received the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this year but later opened up about the negative experience he had in the days that ensued.
"I took the first jab of AZ and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days. I recovered eventually and was told it would be twelve weeks before the second one," Clapton wrote on Monotti's Telegram account, according to Rolling Stone.
Six weeks later the 76-year-old British music icon noted that he was offered the second shot and, having "a little more knowledge on the dangers," decided to have the jab.
"Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks; I feared I would never play again," Clapton continued, adding that he should "never have gone near the needle" given that he suffers from peripheral neuropathy. "But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone," he wrote.
In a statement to Rolling Stone in May, a spokesperson for the MHRA, the U.K. governmental body overseeing the vaccine, said that thousands of lives have been saved through the biggest vaccination program that has ever taken place in this country.
"Our advice remains that the benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca outweigh the risks in the majority of people," MHRA said. "It is still vitally important that people come forward for their vaccination when invited to do so."
Clapton has several shows scheduled for September in North America, and two dates booked at the Royal Albert Hotel in London for May 2022.
Related Stories:
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.