Neil Young Cancels Ukraine Concert Due to War Safety Risks: "Situation Was Too Much"
Neil Young has canceled his planned free concert in Ukraine due to safety concerns amid the ongoing war. The decision came after assessing the risks of bringing crew and equipment into the war-affected region, despite having secured a venue near a shelter.
"The changing situation on the ground was too much," Young explained on his website. "I could not in good conscience take my crew and instruments into that area." He expressed his regrets and praised Ukraine as "a great country with a good leader."
Neil Young playing acoustic guitar
Photo Credit: Neil Young by gorupdebesanez / CC by 3.0
Young has been vocal about his opposition to Russia's invasion, describing it as "the crazy war of an old dying guy." He has also criticized both Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump's leadership.
Meanwhile, Young and his band, the Chrome Hearts, are proceeding with their Love Earth World Tour, starting in the UK/Europe in June, followed by North American dates in August. Notably, Young has decided to ban Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing for his tour tickets, inspired by The Cure's Robert Smith's stance against the practice.
Smith had previously called dynamic pricing a "greedy scam" and argued that it would disappear if artists collectively refused to participate. Young agreed, stating, "I have decided to let the people work this out. Buy aggressively when the tickets come out or tickets will cost a lot more in a secondary market."
Lil Wayne wearing yellow cap