Reggae singer claims Arizona concert was canceled to 'silence' his pro-Israel stance

A Matisyahu concert scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson has been canceled due to what the venue’s website calls “safety concerns and staff shortages.”

The notice went up a few hours before the show was scheduled to begin, saying, “We will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding all ticketholders. We apologize for the late notice of cancellation.”

The show will go on, though, at a new location.

Matisyahu is doing a free show tonight at The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave., Tucson.

The concert is limited to "the first 300 people," Matisyahu said in an Instagram story.

"Join us for a special night of music and unity!" he wrote. "We'll also be collecting donations for #BringThemHomeNow."

Bring Them Home Now is a protest movement in Israel that aims for the return of hostages taken by Hamas.

Why Matisyahu concerts were canceled in Tucson and Santa Fe

The Rialto cancellation follows a cancellation Wednesday night at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where safety concerns related to the reggae singer’s staunchly pro-Israel stance were cited.

KOAT television station in Albuquerque reported that “several local pro-Palestinian activist groups credited themselves for pressuring Meow Wolf to cancel the event.”

Pro-Palestinian and union activists claim to have overwhelmed Meow Wolf with social media posts and phone calls, according to KOAT.

What the Rialto Theatre said about canceling Matisyahu's Tucson concert

The Rialto's executive director Cathy Rivers told The Arizona Republic, "Let me be very clear on this situation. The decision to not have Matisyahu play tonight was not made about politics or religion. This decision was made based on safety. The temperature of the day changed, and the tone was not set by us."

Rivers said the decision was made with the safety of the venue's patrons, staff and community in mind.

"We have hosted Matisyahu at our theater many times but today was not the day to have him play," Rivers added. "He was paid in full and ticket refunds are available to all ticket holders."

The cancellation came barely two days after the theater reportedly said the show would go on.

A story published on Tucson.com prior to the cancellation quoted the Rialto from a written statement.

"The Rialto could not have foreseen the escalation of the Israel-Hamas War, and this has led some to call for the concert's cancellation," the Rialto wrote.

"With less than 48 hours and with more than 400 ticket holders planning to attend, The Rialto has decided that we will not be cancelling the concert at this time."

What Matisyahu said about his concerts being canceled

Matisyahu took to social media on Thursday afternoon to vent about the cancellations.

On X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, “To my fans: My band and I should have played a sold-out show at the Meow Wolf in Santa Fe last night and we were excited about tonight’s show at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson. Instead, the staff at these venues refused to come to work, forcing cancellations.”

Matisyahu said he offered to supplement staff shortages at the Rialto Theatre “on our dime” to no avail.

“They do this because they are either anti-Semitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians,” his note said.

“It truly is a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate mongering and silencing artistic expression.”

Matisyahu vowed to “keep moving forward always,” writing that “we will perform songs that celebrate unity, peace and perseverance, and we will connect with our fans through the sacredness of shared music, which has always brought people together.”

The singer continued, “Preventing fans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds singing together in Santa Fe or Tucson does not bring peace. In fact, it does the opposite.”

The note ended with Matisyahu apologizing to fans.

“I am sorry you were denied a show,” he wrote. “I love you all. My band will be back. We will not respond to hate with more hate. We will be together again. We will make music together again. We will sing together again One Day soon.”

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Matisyahu says Tucson, Santa Fe concerts were canceled over Israel