The scheduled Valery Meladze performance in St. Petersburg was canceled
Reports indicate that the concert by Valery Meladze, planned for June 30, in St. Petersburg, did not proceed as planned. The event organizers did not confirm the date, and the announcement circulated through kp.ru as the primary source for the cancellation news.
On that day, Meladze was slated to headline Roof Fest, a summer festival known for featuring a mix of international and domestic acts in outdoor venues. Roof Fest has been part of the city’s festival season for several years, drawing audiences from across the region to enjoy live performances during the warmer months.
The timeline surrounding this performance has been unusually marked by repeated delays. It is noted that the Roof Fest appearance for Meladze had earlier been scheduled for 2020. The year 2020 brought widespread disruptions, and the artist’s appearance was postponed for several months. Subsequently, the date was moved again to 2021, with three further changes to the schedule. In the end, the concert was slated for June 30, 2022, but a month before the event, it was postponed once more—effectively delaying the show by a full year. According to the publication, Meladze’s appearance faced eight postponements over a span of three years.
Earlier, there were announcements about Meladze canceling concerts in several Russian cities, including Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, and Rostov-on-Don. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding these performances contributed to a sense of anticipation among fans who had been planning to attend multiple shows in different locations.
It is noted that the artist publicly dissented from the initiation of a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Following those statements, Meladze was placed on a blacklist by certain circles in Russia’s music industry, leading to restrictions and a cooling of collaboration possibilities with some organizers and venues. This political stance has been part of the broader conversation about artists and their professional engagements during a period of significant international tension.
The situation around Meladze’s St. Petersburg appearance reflects the broader dynamics that can influence live music schedules in large cities. For fans, the repeated postponements created a drawn-out period of uncertainty and disappointment while venues and promoters navigated logistical challenges, audience expectations, and political considerations. The narrative around Roof Fest’s programming has shown how festival lineups can be affected by external factors beyond the immediate control of organizers, performers, or venue operators.
As schedules evolve, fans and industry observers alike monitor any official updates from the artist, the festival organizers, or the venue regarding new dates, rescheduled performances, or alternative arrangements. Until there is a formal announcement, the memory of the planned June 30 show remains a talking point among those who hoped to see Meladze perform in one of Russia’s most populous cultural hubs. The case underscores how the convergence of entertainment, logistics, and politics can shape the realities of live performance in contemporary times.