Earth, Wind & Fire postponed their co-headlining concert with Lionel Richie at San Francisco's Chase Center on Thursday, August 6, after a medical emergency involving a band member forced a last-minute cancellation.

The band broke the news in a statement posted to Instagram and Facebook: "We are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco due to a medical emergency involving a member of our band." They did not identify which member was affected or describe the nature of the medical issue, Billboard reported. The band apologised in the same statement: "We sincerely apologize for the unexpected change and appreciate everyone's understanding."

Thousands of fans were already inside the arena, with more waiting outside, when Chase Center officials issued statements at 7:20 and 7:30 p.m. instructing attendees to exit the building, according to ABC 7. Doors had opened at 6:30 p.m., with the show set to start at 7:30 p.m., per the Chase Center events page. NBC Bay Area and KTVU both confirmed the medical emergency as the cause of the cancellation.

The San Francisco date will be rescheduled, though no new date has been announced. Earth, Wind & Fire asked ticket holders to keep their original tickets, which will be honoured at the rescheduled show. Refunds are available at the point of purchase for those who prefer them.

The next scheduled stop on the Sing a Song All Night Long tour — the joint outing pairing Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire — is Saturday, August 8, in Palm Desert, California. No statement has been issued about whether that date will proceed as planned.

This is the second medical interruption on the tour this summer. On June 24, Lionel Richie cut his set short after experiencing a dizzy spell on stage. He postponed the following two shows and returned to performing on June 30. That incident involved Richie, not a member of Earth, Wind & Fire.

For fans who had travelled into San Francisco for the show, the cancellation arrived late enough that many were already seated or standing in line — the kind of timing that turns a postponed concert into a logistical headache on top of a disappointment. The promise of a rescheduled date and refunded tickets addresses the money; the wait for word on the band member's condition is what remains unresolved.