diff --git a/docs/changelog/2189.misc.rst b/docs/changelog/2189.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ef2b563e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/2189.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fail early instead of creating a non-working env for Python 2 on Apple Silicon (M1) Macs.
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/mac_os.py b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/mac_os.py
index 53f65e341..c6343e7cb 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/mac_os.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/mac_os.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from six import add_metaclass
 
 from virtualenv.create.via_global_ref.builtin.ref import ExePathRefToDest, PathRefToDest, RefMust
+from virtualenv.info import IS_MAC_ARM64
 from virtualenv.util.path import Path
 from virtualenv.util.six import ensure_text
 
@@ -102,6 +103,13 @@ def reload_code(self):
         )
         return result
 
+    @classmethod
+    def can_create(cls, interpreter):
+        if IS_MAC_ARM64:
+            return False
+        else:
+            return super(CPythonmacOsFramework, cls).can_create(interpreter)
+
 
 class CPython3macOsFramework(CPythonmacOsFramework, CPython3, CPythonPosix):
     @classmethod
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/info.py b/src/virtualenv/info.py
index afe409773..7d5e86d78 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/info.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/info.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 PY3 = sys.version_info[0] == 3
 PY2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
 IS_WIN = sys.platform == "win32"
+IS_MAC_ARM64 = sys.platform == "darwin" and platform.machine() == "arm64"
 ROOT = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(os.path.abspath(__file__), os.path.pardir, os.path.pardir))
 IS_ZIPAPP = os.path.isfile(ROOT)
 WIN_CPYTHON_2 = IS_CPYTHON and IS_WIN and PY2