China cancels Bon Jovi concerts, probably because of the Dalai Lama
On Tuesday, concert promoter AEG China announced that Bon Jovi shows in Shanghai and Beijing next week "have been canceled for some reason." That reason, according to the Financial Times, is because China's Culture Ministry discovered photos of Bon Jovi performing in Taiwan in 2010 in front of a photo of the Dalai Lama. Bon Jovi had "made a special effort to appeal to fans in China ahead of the show," The New York Times reports, with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi "recording a Mandarin cover of 'The Moon Represents My Heart,' a popular song by the Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng."
It looks like China's Bon Jovi fans will have to make do with that song. It's not clear if people will get refunds on their tickets, which cost between $75 and $600 each, the Financial Times reports. "On Tuesday concert organizers were desperately trying to convince officials to relent on the Bon Jovi concerts but the chances of Beijing overturning the cancelation order are slim, according to people familiar with the matter." Bon Jovi isn't the first Western musical act blacklisted by China over apparent support for the Tibetan spiritual leader.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political cartoons for December 23Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include an eye on CBS, cracking the middle class, and Donald Trump's name on everything
-
Why women are feeling the festive stressTalking Point As the Christmas frenzy ramps up, many mums feel the pressure of ‘keeping the whole sleigh on the road’
-
Is Keir Starmer being hoodwinked by China?Today's Big Question PM’s attempt to separate politics and security from trade and business is ‘naïve’
-
A peek inside Europe’s luxury new sleeper busThe Week Recommends Overnight service with stops across Switzerland and the Netherlands promises a comfortable no-fly adventure
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
China’s burgeoning coffee cultureUnder The Radar Local chains are thriving as young middle-class consumers turn away from tea
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
How digital ID cards work around the worldThe Explainer Many countries use electronic ID to streamline access to services despite concern by civil rights groups they ‘shift the balance of power towards the state’
