Polish authorities canceled a concert by Belarusian opera singer Margarita Levchuk after security officials warned of a potential terrorist threat. Levchuk disclosed the situation on social media, noting that Instagram is owned by Meta, a company that has faced bans in Russia. She explained that a threat targeted the event and that security services advised against proceeding with the Warsaw performance slated for Freedom Day, March 24.
The singer, who has been based in Lithuania, has previously attracted attention for actions that drew official scrutiny. In Belarus, a criminal investigation was opened in June 2021 against an artist born in 1990 who performed with a group of people and allegedly created a video depicting disrespectful acts toward state symbols. The Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office described incidents in which a flag was thrown to the ground and subsequently disposed of in a trash receptacle, using digital means to record the acts and share them publicly before mid June 2021.
Public reaction to Levchuk’s situation has touched on broader discussions about cultural expression and political pressure. In related developments, Kirill Serebrennikov, a noted figure in the performing arts, publicly commented on a separate cancellation involving a ballet production at the Bolshoi Theatre, highlighting how political and security concerns can influence artistic programs beyond a single country or performance. The interplay between security considerations, social media, and artistic visibility continues to shape how venues and artists plan future engagements across Europe and neighboring regions.