Paramore: Why did Hayley Williams' band drop out of LA festival - are they breaking up?

Hayley Williams' Paramore have announced they are dropping out of this year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival with Fall Out Boy confirmed as the replacement headliner. The rock band shared the news on their Instagram story on Thursday (January 4), blaming "unforeseen circumstances" for their cancellation.

The post read: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Paramore can no longer attend and perform at iHeartRadio ALTer EGO on January 13. The band apologises for any inconvenience.”

The news comes just weeks after the Grammy-award winning outfit took down all posts and images from their social media accounts and disabled their band website. But what have the band said about the future of Paramore?

Are Paramore breaking up?

The band hasn't officially addressed any speculation regarding a split. However, in an interview with Uproxx in December, the group said there was a “level of uncertainty” about their future due to fulfilling 'label obligations'.

That being said, the trio reassured fans that they are still going to be together, and they’re still going to keep having fun. “The only thing that matters is we will still get to be each other's community,” Williams said. Drummer Zac Farro added: “I just hope we can keep building the Paramore empire and then rule the world.”

The band took a six-year hiatus following the release of their 2017 record 'After Laughter' and returned in 2023, with their sixth studio album 'This is Why'. There have been eight members in Paramore with several exits over the years including Josh and Zac Farro in 2010, and Jeremy Davis in 2015. Zac Farro rejoined the band full-time in 2016.

Are Paramore still supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour?

Despite the group pulling out of this year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival, Paramore are still currently set to support Taylor Swift on the UK and European leg of her Eras tour.