Conservative commentator Candace Owens’ cancelled Australian speaking tour is still creating fallout nearly two years later, and this time, the people left holding the bill are thousands of fans who bought tickets expecting the events to happen.
According to reporting from The Guardian, more than 15,000 ticket holders are now unlikely to receive refunds after the tour’s promoter, Rocksman, reportedly entered liquidation with just 21 cents left in its bank account. The company had organized Owens’ planned 2024 tour across major Australian cities before the Australian government blocked her visa application.
At the center of the controversy is Australia’s decision to deny Owens entry into the country over concerns she could “incite discord.” Immigration Minister Tony Burke rejected the visa in October 2024, citing several of Owens’ past public comments. Australia’s High Court later upheld that decision in 2025 after Owens challenged the ruling.
Ticket prices for the cancelled events reportedly ranged from $95 to as much as $1,500 for VIP packages. Joel Jammal, whose organization sponsored the tour, estimated the events generated at least $1.4 million in ticket sales before the company collapsed.
A spokesperson for Owens told The Guardian that her team also lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills” while trying to fight the visa denial and assist with refunds. The spokesperson added, “Right up until the last day, they were still promising us that refunds were just around the corner.”
The situation has now sparked broader criticism around accountability for politically charged speaking tours and whether consumers are adequately protected when organizers collapse financially.
