Was Kehlani's Central Park Pride concert canceled? Everything to know

R&B singer Kehlani's recent scheduled performance in Central Park has been canceled. According to the NY Post's May 5 report, the Summer Stage benefit event, titled "PRIDE WITH KEHLANI," was cancelled by the taxpayer-funded City Park's Foundation due to severe backlash following the announcement.

As part of SummerStage, the singer was scheduled to play as the main act at a June 26 event at the famous Manhattan park. However, organisers raised security concerns in their announcement.

The action was taken just hours after The Post obtained a letter from the Adams administration threatening to revoke the permits for all of the summer series' performances during the concert. The artist has been accused of encouraging antisemitism despite her outspoken support for Palestinians during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Citing the reason on Tuesday, May 6, Adams stated via SummerStage's Instagram statement:

"With all that's going on, would this impact public safety? And we wanted to do an analysis and to make sure that it wouldn't, and based on, without us having to go through that full analysis, the [City Parks Foundation] made that determination.. We're not the first to have looked at this performer and talked about the cancellation."

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Kehlani's recent concert has been canceled citing security reasons

The cancellation follows Cornell University's decision to cancel a Kehlani performance due to her alleged "antisemitic, anti-Israel" beliefs. Next 2 U, her music video, begins with the words "long live the intifada" and shows dancers brandishing Palestinian flags. Some interpret the Arabic term "intifada," which means "uprising" or "resistance," as a call for violence against Jews.

Additionally, Rep. Ritchie Torres shared some of the singer's social media tweets on Friday, May 2, expressing his worries about her performance. Additionally, as per CBS News' report from the same day, on Monday, May 5, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro sent a letter to the City Parks Foundation that read:

"In light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled.. We write to advise you that we have security concerns about this event, given the controversy surrounding Kehlani's scheduled performance at Cornell University..”

It continued:

"(causing University officials to cancel the appearance), the security precautions needed for an event like this in Central Park, and the security demands throughout the City for other Pride events during this same period of time.. If the Foundation does not promptly take steps to ensure public safety, the City reserves all rights and remedies with respect to the Foundation's license."

On the same day, SummerStage also made a social media post:

"We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds. However, the safety and security of our guests is of the utmost importance and in light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled..”

It concluded:

"While artists may choose to express their own opinions, their views may not necessarily be representative of the festival."

As per the NY Post’s May 5 report, both the Park Foundation and the city have stated that they had no say in the performer's selection. It claimed to have collaborated with Live Nation, which was both producing the show and choosing the musician.

Kehlani, meanwhile, has denied allegations that she possessed antisemitic and anti-Israel views. On April 27, she stated in a video that was also shared on Instagram:

"For the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew," "I am anti-genocide. I am anti-the actions of the Israeli government. I am anti-an extermination of an entire people. I am anti-the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that's what I'm anti."

As per the same NY Post, Kehlani refused to denounce Hamas for the October 7, 2023, massacre and notoriously posted a map online that omits the status of Israel.

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Meanwhile, after the announcement, Kehlani hasn't said anything as of yet.