British pop star Robbie Williams announced that his upcoming concert in Istanbul has been canceled after local authorities decided to call off the show due to safety concerns.
The concert, originally set for October 7, was stopped following growing backlash from some Turkish NGOs and social media users, who had urged that the performance be canceled. Their protests centered around Williams’ past performance in Israel and his family’s Jewish background, with some groups accusing him of being “Zionist.”
The show’s date coincided with the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities, an event that sparked Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza.
Ticketing company Bubilet confirmed that the cancellation came at the request of the Istanbul Governor’s Office, though the office has not yet released an official statement.
Williams, 51, addressed the decision in an Instagram post on Saturday night, saying he was “deeply sorry” for the cancellation, but emphasized that the safety of his fans must come first. “This was beyond our control,” he added.
The singer, known for hits like ‘Angels’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’, had been scheduled to perform at a major outdoor venue in the city. Photo by Drew de F Fawkes, Wikimedia commons.