Muse postpones Istanbul show amid Turkish promotor controversy

Muse has postponed an upcoming show in Istanbul, Turkey, originally scheduled for June, due to controversy over the concert’s promoter, DBL Entertainment.

The news comes amid ongoing political tension in Turkey stemming from protests against the March arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Protesters feel that Imamoglu’s arrest is an unjust political move by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an effort to silence a challenger.

As for how DBL fits into this, the BBC reports that DBL promoter Abdulkadir Ozkan has come under fire for labeling an altercation that took place in a protester-boycotted coffee shop as “hostility towards the capital” and an “act of treason.” Ozkan later said he did not mean to criticize the “constitutional right to protests” with his comments.

Even still, protesters have called for a boycott of DBL, which Muse fans wrote in the comments of the Istanbul show’s announcement on Monday.

In a follow-up post Wednesday, Muse writes, “After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will be now postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved.”

“Thank you for your ongoing support, it means everything to us,” Muse adds. “See you in 2026!”

Muse has postponed an upcoming show in Istanbul, Turkey, originally scheduled for June, due to controversy over the concert’s promoter, DBL Entertainment.

The news comes amid ongoing political tension in Turkey stemming from protests against the March arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Protesters feel that Imamoglu’s arrest is an unjust political move by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an effort to silence a challenger.

As for how DBL fits into this, the BBC reports that DBL promoter Abdulkadir Ozkan has come under fire for labeling an altercation that took place in a protester-boycotted coffee shop as “hostility towards the capital” and an “act of treason.” Ozkan later said he did not mean to criticize the “constitutional right to protests” with his comments.

Even still, protesters have called for a boycott of DBL, which Muse fans wrote in the comments of the Istanbul show’s announcement on Monday.

In a follow-up post Wednesday, Muse writes, “After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will be now postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved.”

“Thank you for your ongoing support, it means everything to us,” Muse adds. “See you in 2026!”