Green Day, AJR Cancel Moscow Concerts Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Rock band Green Day pulled out of its upcoming concert in Moscow amid the on-going Russia-Ukraine tension.

“With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcoming show in Moscow at Spartak Stadium,” Green Day said Sunday on its Instagram Story.

“We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that. 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. Refunds available at the point of purchase. Stay safe.”

The “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” artists were scheduled to perform on May 29 at Spartak stadium which can accommodate up to 43,000 attendees in its stadium bowl and the VIP zone.

Green Day was not the first to cancel performances in Russia. Last week, pop indie trio, AJR also announced the cancelation of its upcoming concert in Moscow originally scheduled for Oct 22.

"We are sad to announce that we will be canceling our upcoming show in Russia. Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info,” the trio wrote on their official Twitter page.

Aside from the pull-out of musical acts for their appearances in Russia, the European Broadcasting Union also banned Russia from joining this year’s Eurovision Song competition.

“The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that no Russian act will participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The Executive Board of the EBU made the decision following a recommendation earlier today by the Eurovision Song Contest's governing body, the Reference Group, based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU,” an official statement from the organization said.

“The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute. Before making this decision the EBU took time to consult widely among its membership,” EBU added.

EBU is made up of 69 members from 113 organizations in 56 countries including U.K., Germany, Luxembourg, Ukraine and Russia.