Yelle Cancels North American Tour Amid Concerns Over U.S. Politics
The French electro-pop band Yelle announced on Wednesday that they are canceling their upcoming North American tour, originally scheduled for the fall. The decision stems from what they describe as a “very worrying” political climate in the United States.
In their message to fans on Instagram, the band emphasized their worries about issues surrounding immigration and freedom of speech as significant factors in their choice to back out of the tour. “Today we made the extremely difficult decision to cancel our North American tour, and there are multiple reasons why we came to this decision,” Yelle explained. “The current political situation in the United States is very worrying, especially when it comes to immigration and freedom of speech. We are currently traveling as a family with young children, so we need to feel safer than ever.”
Beyond political concerns, Yelle also mentioned the “large financial burden” that the tour was going to impose on them. “And also, the overall costs of this tour are no longer balanced and put a huge financial burden on us,” they noted.
As reported by a music outlet, Yelle joins a growing list of international artists voicing their apprehensions regarding the U.S. political landscape, particularly under President Trump’s administration.
In related news, members of the British punk band UK Subs faced rejection when trying to enter the U.S. in March, attributing their denial to issues with their visas and other undisclosed reasons. The band’s bassist, Alvin Gibbs, speculated that his criticisms of Trump and his administration could have played a role in this situation.
Moreover, the British punk duo Bob Bilan recently found themselves in hot water at the Glastonbury Festival, resulting in a visa revocation due to a controversial performance that sparked widespread backlash.
Additionally, Bells Larsen, a transgender singer-songwriter from Montreal, had to cancel their tour after encountering difficulties with visa applications stemming from U.S. immigration policies that do not acknowledge transgender identities.
