British singer Robbie Williams stated metropolis authorities known as off his upcoming Istanbul live performance “in the interests of public safety” after Turkish NGOs and social media customers campaigned for the occasion to be cancelled and protested towards his look.
The October 7 live performance was scheduled to happen on the second anniversary of the Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities that led to Israel’s navy offensive in Gaza.
For days, Turkish social media accounts and pro-Gaza NGOs had been calling for the occasion to be scrapped, accusing Williams of being “Zionist”.
The 51-year-old singer has confronted renewed scrutiny in predominantly Muslim Turkey over his household’s Jewish heritage and his 2015 efficiency in Israel, which drew criticism from pro-Palestinian teams.
Bubilet, the ticketing firm, stated it had cancelled the live performance on the request of the Istanbul Governor’s Office. The governor’s workplace was not instantly accessible for remark.
Williams wrote on Instagram late on Saturday that the protection of his followers “comes first,” including he was deeply sorry for the cancellation, which he stated was “beyond our control.”
© Thomson Reuters 2025.