Following the footsteps of AJR and Green Day, more musicians are canceling their upcoming performances in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
- Mar 1, 2022
AceShowbiz - More musicians are canceling their shows in Russia following the country's attack on Ukraine. Aside from Green Day and AJR, Yungblud, Louis Tomlinson, The Killers and HEALTH have pulled out of their scheduled performance.
In a statement he posted on his social media platforms on Monday, February 28, the "11 Minutes" hitmaker admitted to feeling "heartbroken." He wrote, "I'm heartbroken to announce I will be cancelling my Russian shows scheduled for this summer."
"Heartbroken because I know the vicious and brutal acts of the Russian regime in Ukraine over the past week do not reflect the attitudes and ideals of the beautiful people who I have met in Russia in the past," Yungblud continued. "To the people of Ukraine, a country I've spent time in and have dear friends in, my heart is with you - you've already shown such strength and determination, resisting this needless invasion."
"Everyone deserves to be the creator of their own destiny, rather than having it forced upon them by acts of war and aggression," added the 24-year-old artist. He then concluded his note as saying, "Ukraine, I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. My heart is with you, always."
Also canceling his upcoming performance in Russia was Louis. On Monday, the "Two of Us" crooner released a statement that read, "Due to the recent events in Ukraine, I have to sadly announce that my tour shows in Moscow and Kyiv are cancelled until further notice." The former One Direction member explained, "The safety of my fans is my priority and my thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and all those suffering from this needless war."
In the meantime, a representative for The Killers told TMZ that the band "will no longer be playing in the 'Park Live Festival'." The group was initially scheduled to play at the event in July in Moscow. This year's lineup includes performances by My Chemical Romance, Sum 41, Gorillaz, Deftones, Iggy Pop, Five Finger Death Punch, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit.
HEALTH also showed some support to the Ukrainian people by canceling their upcoming Russian gig. "Though we do not wish to penalize our fans for governmental decisions that are beyond their control, given the current state of affairs we will no longer be performing our previously scheduled shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow," read the post. The note further added, "Our thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine."
This came after Green Day and AJR announced their upcoming shows in Russia due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. Realizing that "this moment is not about stadium rock shows," Green Day, who was set to perform on May 29 ahead of their European tour in June, decided to cancel their stadium tour in Moscow.
"With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcomingshow in Moscow at Spartak Stadium," the band announced. "We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it's much bigger than that."
The statement posted on their official account added, "But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future." The note also stated that refunds are available at the point of purchase.
As for AJR, the trio wrote, "We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia." They then showed their gratitude for their Russian fans, "Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country's unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine," before noting that "the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info."
