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Blacklisted folk rock band Palats has anniversary show cancelled

An anniversary concert by Palats, a famous folk rock band rumored to be on the authorities' blacklist, has been cancelled.

The band was expected to play a sell-out show at the National Theater of Belarusian Drama in Minsk on October 26 to mark 20 years since it was formed, but the event has been cancelled due to "certain technical problems," a representative of the theater's administration told BelaPAN.

All tickets to the concert were sold out two weeks before the event. Ticket holders will now receive their money back.

The band members declined to comment on the cancellation of the concert. Frontman Aleh Khamenka said that the band "has nothing to apologize for."

When reached by BelaPAN, a spokesperson for the culture ministry expressed surprise at the cancellation of the show and denied the ministry's involvement.

Many Belarusian and foreign musicians and cultural figures are said to have been blacklisted by the authorities for speaking out for democratic change in Belarus and for the release of political prisoners. The list is reported to include some 30 individuals and 15 bands.

A number of their concerts have been canceled in Belarus since the spring of 2011 for what appear to be political reasons. //BelaPAN