Lady Gaga almost wanted to cancel her Grammy performance of “Abracadabra.” Organizer Ben Winston reveals: Just two days after the Japan concerts, it was unclear whether the performance would take place.
The Grammys were awarded on February 1, 2026. In addition to the lucky winners in numerous categories and more political statements than in previous years, there were also some remarkable musical performances this year. However, one of these performances was almost canceled.
Organizers were worried about performance
Pop singer Lady Gaga was also one of the big winners and took home two of the coveted trophies. She also performed a rock version of her song “Abracadabra” during the ceremony. But now one of the organizers of the Grammys has announced that the performance almost didn’t happen.
Two days after the awards ceremony, on February 3, 2026, Grammys executive producer Ben Winston said on the “Rolling Stone Music Now Podcast” that the team behind the event was unsure whether the performance would go ahead: “There was a moment a few weeks before the show where we thought we might lose her from the show because she just said, ‘I just don’t see how I’m going to do this.'”
No break after concerts
The near-cancellation was due to the fact that the musician was on stage in Japan just two days before the Grammy Awards and was playing shows as part of her ongoing “Mayhem Ball” tour. Due to the strenuous performances and the long journey, she hardly had any time to recover for her appearance at the awards ceremony.
Winston explained: “Unlike everyone else who had time to rehearse outside of the studio or with their dancers, band or creative team, she couldn’t do that. She was literally on stage during it.”
He also added how special the rock version of “Abracadabra” was: “It was so different, so original, so spectacular.”
Excitement about rock version
The song was produced by Andrew Watt, who was also responsible for the original version. Winston received the song a few weeks before the Grammys and said he was thrilled: “I was still awake, but my wife Meredith was already asleep. He said, ‘You have to listen to this.’ I snuck into the bathroom, put on my AirPods and listened to this. And I just thought, ‘Wow, that really gave the song an incredible kick.'”
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