Robbie Williams has been forced to cancel a planned performance in Turkey over terror fears, the singer revealed in a statement released on Saturday.
The “Angels” hitmaker, 51, took to Instagram to share with devastated fans that he was left with no option but to cancel his set in Istanbul. Robbie said, “I’m extremely sorry that I will not be able to perform in Istanbul next week.”
The former Take That frontman continued, “City authorities have cancelled the show, in the interests of public safety. The last thing I would ever want to do is jeopardise the safety of my fans — their safety and security come first.”
He added, “We were very excited to be playing Istanbul for the first time, and purposely chose the city as the final show of the BRITPOP tour. To end this epic run of dates in front of my Turkish fans was my dream, given the close connections my family have with this wonderful country.”
Robbie addressed his fans in Istanbul directly: “To everyone who wanted to join the 1.2 million people who have shared this phenomenal tour with us this year, I am deeply sorry. We were so looking forward to this show, but the decision to cancel it was beyond our control.”
The singer was due to perform at Atakoy Marina on October 7 — the same date marking the second anniversary of the terror attacks on Israel by Hamas. According to local publication Turkiye Today, organisers cited potential security risks and public backlash as the reasons behind the cancellation.
Robbie Williams has previously faced criticism for marrying his wife, Ayda Field, 46, who has Turkish heritage through her father, while her American mother is Jewish. The couple are proud parents to their children Teddy, 12; Charlie, 10; Coco, six; and Beau, four.
In addition to the cancelled show, Robbie was scheduled to release his latest studio album, *Britpop*, just days later on October 10. However, the release has now been postponed to avoid clashing with Taylor Swift’s *Life Of A Showgirl* tour. Robbie informed fans, “Due to scheduling changes, *Britpop* will now be released on February 6, 2026.”
Meanwhile, in August, it was revealed that Robbie is being sued by the co-writer of his smash hit “Angels.” Ray Heffernan claims to have earned just £7,500 from the song and is seeking a third of the future royalties. The single had sold an estimated 1.8 million copies in the UK (combining physical and digital sales) as of 2021.
The Irish singer-songwriter, who penned “Angels” at the age of 22, is aiming to use the new ‘bestseller clause’ recently passed by the EU. The origins of the song date back to 1996 when Mr. Heffernan met Robbie Williams on a night out in his hometown of Dublin during the Christmas holidays. He played the song to the former Take That star at his mother’s house before they recorded the first version of the single together.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15162651/Robbie-Williams-forced-cancel-tour-gig-Turkey-terror-fears-hitmaker-releases-statement.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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