New Order’s Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert Withdraw From Touring

New Order have confirmed that Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert will not join the band’s touring activities for the foreseeable future. The decision, attributed to personal health reasons, was shared alongside a new run of live dates that includes a set at Primavera Festival in Chile later this year — the group’s first performance in the country in seven years.

The announcement undercuts what would otherwise be a straightforward headline about a band returning to South America. Morris and Gilbert, both founding members and longtime anchors of the group’s rhythm section and synth textures, are now absent from the road entirely. Bernard Sumner will continue to front the band, flanked by Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman. The statement was short and direct: the circumstances make it impossible for Morris and Gilbert to travel.

The news arrives in a year that will also see New Order and Joy Division formally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It is not yet clear who will represent either band at the ceremony. The question of a performance lineup remains unanswered, and any talk of a reunion or symbolic appearance is now clouded by these latest health setbacks.