New York City’s SummerStage canceled Kehlani‘s scheduled performance in Central Park this June, citing “safety issues” raised by Mayor Eric Adams’ office. The news arrives after Cornell University nixed her planned concert at their campus over the singer’s public support of Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.
“We write to advise you that we have security concerns about this event, given the controversy surrounding Kehlani’s scheduled performance at Cornell University (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,” First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro wrote in a letter obtained by Rolling Stone, which was addressed to the City Parks Foundation, organizers of SummerStage, on Monday. The letter added that the mayor’s office intended to refer the issue to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and if it found “serious safety concerns,” the office would have to determine the “status of the Foundation’s license.”
Mastro added that they expected to hear back by “close of business tomorrow” in order to decide whether the NYPD needed to investigate the foundation.
In response to the letter, Heather Lubov, Executive Director of the City Parks Foundation, wrote to Mastro on the same day: “The safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance and in light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled.”
On Monday afternoon, both SummerStage and City Parks Foundation released a statement, acknowledging they were “notified by the mayor’s office that they have concerns for security and safety issues regarding the June 26 Kehlani concert, produced and presented by Live Nation.” The statement continued, “Those concerns are due to the controversy surrounding Cornell University’s decision to cancel Kehlani’s concert at the university, as well as security demands in Central Park and throughout the city for other pride events during that same time period.”
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The organizations said that “in light of these concerns, the concert has been canceled,” adding that they “strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds… While artists may choose to express their own opinions, their views may not necessarily be representative of the festival.”
Reps for Kehlani did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
According to Central Park’s website at press time, the singer was scheduled to appear on June 26 for a “Pride with Kehlani” benefit concert.
Kayla Mamelak Altus, Press Secretary for the Office of Mayor Adams, said in a statement following the pulled show: “We are grateful to the City Parks Foundation for responding to our concerns and canceling the Kehlani concert in Central Park.“
The decision from SummerStage arrives just over a week after Cornell’s president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, accused Kehlani of having “espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media.” Weeks prior, the White House froze $1 billion in funding for the university, per The New York Times, as the Trump administration investigates alleged on-campus antisemitism.
Last year, the R&B singer featured Palestinian flags and dancers wearing keffiyehs in her “Next 2 U” music video. The YouTube post of the song included a link to an Al Jazeera article listing names of some 16,800 children it reported Israel has killed since October 2023. The music video also included the phrase, “Long Live the Intifada.” The Times previously reported that some people view the word intifada, which means rebellion, as calling for violence against Israelis and Jews, while pro-Palestinian activists see it as a call for liberation.
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Kehlani responded to Cornell’s decision and allegations of antisemitism in a video posted on Instagram, and stated “I am not antisemitic nor am I anti-Jew.” The singer continued: “I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I’m anti the bombing of innocent children, men women… that’s what I’m anti.”
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The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious. Humanitarian groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have used that term, as have many others; former president Joseph R. Biden and the American Jewish Committee, among other groups that support Israel, have strongly objected to this framing.
This article was updated on May 5 at 8:07 p.m. ET to include a statement from Kayla Mamelak Altus, Press Secretary for the New York City Office of Mayor Eric Adams.
