Editorial & Advertiser disclosure

Global Banking and Finance Review is an online platform offering news, analysis, and opinion on the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the banking and finance industry worldwide. The platform covers a diverse range of topics, including banking, insurance, investment, wealth management, fintech, and regulatory issues. The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website.

Headlines

Robbie Williams Istanbul concert cancelled over safety concerns, singer says

Published by Global Banking and Finance Review

Posted on October 5, 2025

Featured image for article about Headlines

ANKARA (Reuters) -British singer Robbie Williams said city authorities called off his upcoming Istanbul concert “in the interests of public safety” after Turkish NGOs and social media users campaigned for the event to be cancelled and protested against his appearance.

The October 7 concert was scheduled to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that led to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

For days, Turkish social media accounts and pro-Gaza NGOs had been calling for the event to be scrapped, accusing Williams of being "Zionist".

The 51-year-old singer has faced renewed scrutiny in predominantly Muslim Turkey over his family’s Jewish heritage and his 2015 performance in Israel, which drew criticism from pro-Palestinian groups.

Bubilet, the ticketing company, said it had cancelled the concert at the request of the Istanbul Governor’s Office. The governor's office was not immediately available for comment.

Williams wrote on Instagram late on Saturday that the safety of his fans “comes first,” adding he was deeply sorry for the cancellation, which he said was “beyond our control.”

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay, Editing by Louise Heavens)