Zara Larsson has told fans she will not perform at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after many urged her to reconsider the appearance over concerns about the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) role in the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
The Swedish pop singer was set to perform alongside Lewis Capaldi on December 3 as part of the Yasalam After-Race Concerts at Etihad Live on Yas Island.
In light of Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after making a Pro Palestine speech – which shone a light on the political impact musicians can have – hordes of fans encouraged her to cancel the date.
After one fan on social media asked her to “read about what UAE is doing to Sudan” and cancel the show, she responded simply: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Those comments were later deleted, but screenshots have since circulated. Larsson later elaborated on the decision, explaining that her choice wasn’t based solely on politics.
“I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government,” she wrote. “I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart.
“Maybe it came off as a impulsive response to a comment, but I have spent some time thinking about everything and decided that to not do the show aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
‘Sexistential’ was released in March and marked Robyn’s first album since 2018’s ‘Honey‘. In a glowing five-star review, NME wrote: ” There’s no frisson to the self-destruction here, only the cold inevitability of interstellar tragedy. The air of finality is unmistakable – the questing of ‘Sexistential’ is over. Only time will tell where Robyn heads next.”
