Red Hot Chili Peppers delay Israel concert until Europe COVID cools off
Tickets that had been sold already would be good for whatever new date would be set.
By HANNAH BROWNUpdated: APRIL 26, 2021 21:07Members of the U.S. rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform during their concert by the Giza Pyramids on the western outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo, late on March 15, 2019(photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
Israelis dreaming of “Californication” and the appearance of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band that created the song of that name, in Israel on June 23 will have to dream a bit longer — perhaps a year longer, according to music industry sources.On Monday, Red Hot Chili Peppers announced they were postponing their planned concert here. The event's producers said that the event was just postponed, not canceled and that tickets that had been sold already would be good for whatever new date would be set.The N12 website reported that the performance was postponed because it was doubtful that the green tag coronavirus regulations would be relaxed in time to allow a huge concert with tens of thousands of audience members, even in an outdoor venue.But a second and perhaps equally pressing concern is the situation of the pandemic in Europe. Countries including France and Italy have recently reimposed lockdowns as their vaccination campaigns proceed slowly and cases continue to rise. If top bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers cannot combine their Israel concerts with a European tour, it won’t be worth their while to travel just to perform in Israel, said an industry promoter. “It’s coronavirus, coronavirus, coronavirus,” he said. They will probably put off worldwide tours until 2022, he said.The band has had a complex history for trying to set up performances in Israel. The band was set to perform in 2001, at the height of the Second Intifada, but cancelled the concert, citing various logistical issues, although it seemed that fear of terrorism and insurance problems were the main factors. They did make it to a 2012 concert, in which they performed for an enthusiastic crowd of 50,000 at Park HaYarkon.
