Indigo Girls cancel University of Northern Iowa show Friday due to illness

The folk rock duo Indigo Girls have canceled their Friday show on the University of Northern Iowa campus due to an undisclosed illness, according to UNI’s Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Art Center, which is working with the band to reschedule.

UNI said a new concert date in Cedar Falls could come a year from now in fall 2025.

“We apologize for the cancellation and any inconvenience it may cause,” Gallagher Bluedorn representatives said. “We were all very excited to host the Indigo Girls for the first time.”

The Grammy-winning Indigo Girls — made up of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray — were in Iowa City in April for a pair of performances at The Englert, where Saliers wore a signed Caitlin Clark Hawkeye women’s basketball shirt.

UNI had planned to host them at 8 p.m. Friday — but announced the cancellation Wednesday, just two days prior, promising ticket holders credit toward another show, tickets for the rescheduled concert in a year or a full refund.

“Over the next four to five business days the ticket office will be reaching out to all ticket buyers,” according to the university. “We expect a high volume of phone traffic and encourage patience.“

The Inidigo Girls’ first Epic Records album debuted in 1989 with hit singles “Closer to Fine” and “Kid Fears” — selling more than 2 million copies and skyrocketing the duo to fame. The pair — who met in elementary school — in total have produced 20 student albums, live albums or compilations.

The women also have become activists over the years, championing issues like immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, education, death penalty reform, and Native American rights.

They co-founded “Honor the Earth,” a nonprofit supporting sustainable Native communities, Indigenous environmental justice, and green energy solutions.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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