The performance by Serbian singer Jelena Karleuša, which was scheduled to take place on 31 October at the Teatro Club in Essen, Germany, has been cancelled. The club stated that the decision was made after serious consideration of her public statements and views on the current political situation in Serbia.
The club distanced itself from statements that insult and demean students and citizens fighting for their rights, as well as rhetoric that creates divisions and intolerance. They emphasised that everyone has the right to political opinion, but that there is a clear line between expressing views and using influence to demean others. They believe the singer's primary role is to entertain, unite people and spread positive energy through her music, rather than using her popularity and public stage for political settling of scores, insults and deepening divisions among the people. They stressed that their stage is a place for music and entertainment, not a platform for political propaganda, and that Teatro Club Essen is a place of togetherness, respect and good atmosphere. They also conveyed that their principles are not for sale and that no performance is more important than the respect for their guests and the values they uphold.
On the other hand, Jelena Karleuša published a different version of events on her profile. In a post bearing the club's logo, it states that the concert is being cancelled due to a large number of anonymous and serious threats to life. The same post claims that the club is providing her with support and that she has never spread hatred. It is also stated that the planned performance at the club Teatro Club Essen on 31 October 2026 is being cancelled due to a large number of anonymous threats and serious death threats directed at Jelena Karleuša, as well as the organisers themselves. The post highlights that the safety of their guest, the audience, the team and all those involved in organising the event is paramount, and that under such circumstances they are unable to hold the concert. A new performance date will be announced soon, once safe conditions are created. The post also notes that no one's political stance, nor freedom of thought and speech, should lead to anyone being threatened with murder, as is currently happening to Jelena Karleuša, who has never spread hatred nor made any negative statements about any nation. Such actions are unacceptable and they absolutely condemn all forms of threats and hate speech. The post also states that Teatro Club Essen strongly condemns all threats and attacks received by the club, as well as all threats directed at Jelena Karleuša.
After Karleuša published her version of the story, the Teatro issued a further statement to clarify exactly why the performance was cancelled. The Teatro stated that only their first published statement regarding the cancellation of Jelena Karleuša's performance on 31.10.2026 is the official statement of Teatro Club Essen. The second statement circulating on social media is not from them and was not published by Teatro Club Essen. It is a false message from whose content they explicitly distance themselves. They do not accept that incorrect information is being disseminated in their name.
This is not the first time a performance by Jelena Karleuša has been cancelled. In August, her concert at the Hacienda club in Vodice, which was scheduled for 15 August, was cancelled. The decision to cancel the concert at Hacienda followed several days of negative public reactions. Hacienda stated at the time that no performer and no event are more important than the safety of their guests and employees.
