Jewish reggae star says his concerts were canceled due to antisemitism of venue staff

Grammy-nominated reggae star Matisyahu said Thursday that venues were canceling his sold-out shows because staff refused to work the Jewish artist’s concerts.

In response, Matisyahu posted on social media, “They do this because they are either antisemitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

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

Matisyahu had sold out Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona earlier in February, but the venues claimed the concerts were canceled due to “safety.”

The artist even offered to pay for additional staffing and security for the show but the venue refused.

In a statement, the Rialto Theatre claimed the decision “was not made out of politics or religion,” but due to safety concerns.

The venue’s executive director Cathy Rivers told The Forward, “The temperature of the day changed, and the tone was not set by us. This escalated to a concern of safety for our patrons, our staff, and our community. We have hosted Matisyahu at our theatre many times but today was not the day to have him play. He was paid in full and ticket refunds are available to all ticket holders.”

Meow Wolf told the outlet that it was refunding ticket holders. “Two hours before the show was set to begin, we found ourselves without adequate staff to safely manage the sold-out crowd. Meow Wolf will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests.”

The cancelation appears to have stemmed from efforts by the antisemitic groups Tucson Coalition for Palestine and The Tucson chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, which cited a video from Matisyahu’s recent trip to Israel, that supporters should protest the Rialto show.

Last week, a violent Antifa member Alissa Azar published a claim of responsibility for an attack on the Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, because Matisyahu was scheduled to perform there.

According to The Post Millennial's editor-at-large Andy Ngo, Azar is set for a felony trial on March 12 over her involvement in a violent assault.

Last month, anti-Israel activists in Portland attempted to shut down a performance by Jewish comedian Michael Rappaport.

Matisyahu became an international star in 2005 as a Hasidic rapper with songs that carried a message of Judaism, Zionism, and peace. Since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, he has traveled to Israel to sing for Israeli soldiers and performed at the Rally for Israel in Washington DC.

This is not the first time he has been targeted. In 2015, a music festival in Spain demanded he sign a letter supporting a Palestinian state. In response, he refused to perform at the event.

In response to the cancelations, Matisyahu played a free show in Tucson for hundreds of people.

He added in the social media post, “Tearing down posters of kidnapped children does not bring peace. Chanting genocidal slogans at Jews does not bring peace. Preventing fans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds from singing together in Santa Fe or Tucson does not bring peace. In fact, it does the opposite.”