Kehlani’s upcoming concert in Central Park has been canceled due to security concerns raised by New York City’s mayor during Pride month, organizers said Monday.
The R\&B singer, known for the song “After Hours,” was set to perform on June 26 in a show titled “Pride with Kehlani.” The concert was part of SummerStage, a series of free performances held in parks across the city.
According to organizers, the cancellation came after Mayor Eric Adams’ team expressed concerns linked to Cornell University’s earlier decision to cancel Kehlani’s performance there. The city also cited security demands for other Pride events happening around the same time.
“We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds,” the organizers wrote in an Instagram post. “However, 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.”
Kehlani responded on Instagram Stories with a selfie and the caption “lol,” adding, “I just found that one out on instagram by the way.”
A representative for Kehlani did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, said the administration appreciated the City Parks Foundation for addressing its concerns. “We look forward to an exciting lineup of other performances this summer,” she wrote.
PEN America, a group that supports freedom of expression for artists, criticized the cancellation, calling it “cowardly.”
Kehlani arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on SundayThe group pointed out that the decision followed criticism from U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from the Bronx, who opposed Kehlani’s concert. Torres posted on X that the city should not be “subsidizing or sanitizing antisemitism at taxpayer expense.”
PEN America said in a statement that it is troubling to see elected officials using their power to limit what is considered acceptable expression and to pressure private organizations to comply. “No one wins when politicians meddle to suppress artistic expression.”
Kehlani was also scheduled to perform at Cornell University on May 7, but the Ivy League school canceled the event last month. The school said the planned performance had caused “division and discord” during its Slope Day celebration.
Kehlani responded by denying accusations of antisemitism and anti-Israel beliefs.
“For the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew,” she said in a video on Instagram. “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.”
The California-born artist has openly supported Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
Her music video “Next 2 U” opens with the phrase “long live the intifada” and shows dancers holding Palestinian flags.
The word “intifada,” which means “uprising” or “resistance” in Arabic, is viewed by some as a call for violence against Jews.
