What was a looming nightmare ended up being confirmed in the worst way. The organizers of the official event for Umamusume: Pretty Derby publicly announced the definitive cancellation of the concerts for their international tour in Los Angeles, originally scheduled for October 22 and 23 at the Peacock Theater, due to the failure to obtain entry visas to the United States on time.

Despite exhausting all possible resources and coordinating efforts for months with local promoters and lawyers, the bureaucratic process did not resolve favorably. Faced with the impossibility of the voice actresses and crew traveling to U.S. soil, the company concluded that the only sensible option was to cancel the performances. This news hit the community like a bucket of cold water, as these dates marked the historic first concert of the franchise outside Japanese territory as part of the 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR: THE STAGE, a tour that had started with great success in Tokyo in June.

The organization issued a statement expressing their sincerest apologies to all fans eagerly awaiting this event, acknowledging how uncomfortable it is to issue such sudden notice just days before the show. It was confirmed that ticket money for the venue and online streaming entries will be fully refunded. Additionally, the team is evaluating further measures to support attendees who had planned to travel, with details to be published soon on the official world tour website.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a popular multimedia project created by Cygames. The franchise reimagines legendary racehorses from Japanese horse racing as anime girls with super speed, combining the excitement of track competitions with stage musical performances.

Since its launch, the project has become a massive phenomenon in Asian pop culture, encompassing a successful mobile game, multiple anime adaptations, manga works, and large-scale live performances that fill entire venues in Japan.

What do you think of this unfortunate visa situation that ruined the franchise’s debut in the West?