Latest news with #DBLEntertainment
Express Tribune
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Axe Istanbul gig, fans and artists tell Muse
British rock band Muse was facing pressure on Tuesday from fans and artists to cancel an upcoming Istanbul gig after the Turkish concert promoter lashed out at those involved in recent anti-government protests. In a post on X on Monday, the band announced plans to play Istanbul on June 11, with tickets going on sale on April 3. But there was immediate backlash, with fans and artists saying they would boycott the gig over remarks by Abdulkadir Ozkan, boss of DBL Entertainment, the Turkish promoter behind the event. Since March 19, Turkey has been gripped by massive anti-government protests following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The protests have been met with a sharp crackdown, prompting opposition leader Ozgur Ozel to call for a boycott of firms allegedly close to Erdogan's government. "We would love to go (to see Muse), but the Turkish organiser of this concert supports fascism," wrote Turkish theatre actor Berna Lacin on X. "The young people who were going to come to your concert were thrown in jail. Cancel it and come with another promoter," she said, addressing the band. Singer Gaye Su Akyol, popular in Turkey and abroad, also took to X in support of the boycott in a post addressed to Muse, Robbie Williams and Norwegian singer Ane Brun. "I've respected your works for years and know how much you mean to many. But neither I, nor anyone, will attend your Istanbul concerts because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement," she wrote. "Solidarity matters." Brun later announced she was cancelling her gig, saying: "I have decided not to play in Istanbul this October... unfortunately, this is not the right time." Another Turkish singer, Kalben, also said she would not go to the Muse gig "because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement". AFP
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British band Muse cancels planned Istanbul gig
British rock band Muse said Wednesday that it had cancelled a coming gig in Istanbul, after a backlash from fans at the concert promoter who criticised recent anti-government protests. The band posted on X that it had taken the decision to shelve the June 11 concert "after careful consideration" and would reschedule for 2026 without the promoter's involvement. On social media the post was liked more than 70,000 times in less than an hour. Muse had come under pressure from fans to cancel the gig in support of protesters who have taken to the streets against the March 19 arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The concert promotor, DBL Entertainment, pulled out of the event in response. Muse said the company "will not be involved" in its rescheduled performance. Turkey's opposition has called for the boycott of dozens of companies whose leaders are seen as being close to President Recip Tayyip Erdogan. Nearly 2,000 people, including several hundred students and young people, have been arrested since the start of the protests. DBL Entertainment chief Abdulkadir Ozkan has maintained he was quoted out of context when he criticised the throwing of missiles at a cafe chain franchise during a largely peaceful protest on Saturday. On Tuesday he pulled out of all music projects after he faced criticism from Turkish artists, and calls mounted for the Muse gig to be shelved. Imamoglu is seen as Erdogan's main political rival and was chosen as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election. His arrest for corruption and subsequent incarceration sparked a wave of protests not seen in Turkey in a decade. Some cafes, shops and restaurants in Istanbul and Ankara heeded a CHP call to remain closed on Wednesday. ach/phz/rmb
Bloomberg
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
British Band Muse Delays Turkey Concert as Boycott Row Escalates
British rock group Muse postponed an upcoming concert in Istanbul after fans objected to the involvement of DBL Entertainment, a Turkish events company whose owner criticized a boycott related to recent anti-government protests. The band was scheduled to perform in Turkey's biggest city in June but will now hold off until 2026, Muse said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Turkish fans, artists urge Muse to cancel Istanbul gig over protest dispute
British rock band Muse was facing pressure on Tuesday from fans and artists to cancel an upcoming Istanbul gig after the Turkish concert promoter lashed out at those involved in recent anti-government protests. In a posting on X on Monday, the band announced plans to play Istanbul on June 11, with tickets going on sale on April 3. But there was an immediate backlash, with fans and artists saying they would boycott the gig over remarks by the boss of DBL Entertainment, the Turkish promoter behind the event. Since March 19, Turkey has been gripped by its biggest anti-government protests since 2013 following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor, the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The mass protests have been met with a sharp crackdown, prompting opposition leader Ozgur Ozel to call for a boycott of firms allegedly close to Erdogan's government. One targeted the EspressoLab coffee chain which was mobbed by protesters on Saturday, prompting a furious response on X from DBL Entertainment's owner Abdulkadir Ozkan, who denounced the boycott call as "treason". The post prompted an immediate backlash, forcing Ozkan to briefly shut down his account. Since March 19, police have arrested nearly 2,000 people, among them many students, prompting many young people to begin their own boycott of companies seen as close to Erdogan and his ruling party, the AKP. Ozkan's post was quickly followed by a barrage of calls on social media to boycott gigs organised by his company, among them a Robbie Williams concert on October 7. An upcoming DBL show by South African comedian Trevor Noah in Istanbul on April 23 has also been cancelled, although there was no official reason given for the move. - 'Solidarity matters'- "We would love to go (to see Muse), but the Turkish organiser of this concert supports fascism," wrote Turkish theatre actress Berna Lacin on X. "The young people who were going to come to your concert were thrown in jail. Cancel it and come with another promoter," she said addressing the band. Singer Gaye Su Akyol, popular in Turkey and abroad, also took to X in support of the boycott in a post addressed to Muse, Robbie Williams and a Norwegian singer called Ane Brun. "I've respected your works for years and know how much you mean to many. But neither I, nor anyone, will attend your Istanbul concerts because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement," she wrote. "Solidarity matters." Brun later said she was cancelling her October gig, saying: "I have decided not to play in Istanbul this October... unfortunately, this is not the right time." Another Turkish singer known as Kalben also said she wouldn't go to the Muse gig "because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement". She urged the band to "make a move in the direction of support and solidarity". fo/hmw/rmb
