Bjork Performs onstage at Royal Albert Hall on Sept. 21, 2016 in London.
Santiago Felipe/GIBjörk has joined the list of musicians who have canceled upcoming concerts in Russia due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. On Thursday (March 3), the singer gave her fans an update on her forthcoming Orkestral shows and shared that her appearance in Moscow, originally scheduled to take place on June 8 at the Crocus Music Hall, will no longer be happening.
“In light of current events the bjork orchestral show in Moscow has been cancelled,” the singer tweeted along with a revised tour poster of the June, July and August Orkestral shows throughout Europe. The remaining tour stops — which includes Helsinki, Berlin, Paris, Cheshire (England), Trondheim and Bergen (Norway) — will all continue on their scheduled dates.
Björk’s cancellation of the Moscow show comes after several musicians have nixing tour dates and festival appearances due to Russian President Vladimir Purtin conducting what he called a “special military operation” after months of buildup at the Ukrainian border, before devolving into full fledged attacks on the country and its capital of Kyiv.
Despite diplomatic efforts and sanctions to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine, Putin issued a chilling warning to anyone seeking to intervene. “To anyone who would consider interfering from outside: If you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,” he said. “All the relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me.”
Green Day, Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud, AJR, The Killers and Iggy Pop are among the artists that have canceled their Russia concerts.
See Björk’s tweet below.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
