London venue cancels performance by Chasidic singer over ‘security concerns’

A highly anticipated upcoming concert in London featuring a Chasidic performer was abruptly cancelled less than a day after tickets went on sale with the host venue citing “security concerns”.

Benny Friedman, an American singer, was scheduled to perform twice in the UK, on January 6 in London and January 7 in Manchester as part of his global “Am Yisrael Chai” Tour, but now his team are scrambling to find a replacement venue in London after The Clapham Grand suddenly withdrew.

The concert was announced on Sunday evening, and organisers estimate that hundreds of tickets had already been sold by the time The Clapham Grand suddenly informed them of the change of heart on Monday morning.

ECM Events, who are partnering with Friedman’s team to organise the event, said The Clapham Grand was worried they did not have the necessary security to confront any protests that take place against the show due to its pro-Israel nature.

ECM Events said: “The Clapham Grand expressed willingness to host the event but explained that, due to the high profile of Benny Friedman and potential security risks such as protests, their security team was unable to approve it.”

ECM Events added that their team is “particularly frustrated” at the timing of the cancellation, especially since tickets “were already on sale and fans had begun making plans to attend. We understand the disappointment this news may bring to our supporters and are working tirelessly to find an even larger venue to ensure the concert goes ahead as planned.”

Despite there being “overwhelming” demand in London for a visit from Friedman, with the city more than any other in the world reportedly requesting his presence, organisers encountered great difficulty in securing any venue at all.

In a video posted online, Friedman himself lamented that his team had been working unsuccessfully for “months” to find a venue in London, with each reportedly unwilling to host or secure an event that aligns with pro-Israel sentiments.

“Most venues, in fact all venues, have declined to participate in such a show. Too pro-Israel, too whatever, don’t want to deal with the fallout,” he said.

Eventually, his team found The Clapham Grand and reached a deal. Despite ECM Events stating that The Clapham Grand’s cancellation was due to security concerns, Friedman said: “They [The Clapham Grand] said it’s too pro-Israel or whatever it is, and not for us,” Friedman said.

The team is now looking for a new venue for the London performance, with Friedman remaining “hopeful” despite the difficulty they faced securing the first one.

The Clapham Grand was approached for comment.

The news follows a similar situation last month in which an east London venue allegedly accepted, ignored, and then declined to host an entertainment show organised by Stamford Hill’s Chasidic Jewish community over alleged links to Israel.

That show, featuring Jewish singer Yaakov Shwekey and organised in support of Kol Boniach-Kids In Pain, a charity supporting at-risk and needy children in the community, was to take place in January at music venue Troxy. One short segment, the show’s organisers Jewish Community Council of London (JCC) said, would be dedicated to “solidarity with Israel”.

JCC said Troxy was both affordable and ideally situated, being accessible for both the Stamford Hill and Golders Green Orthodox communities. After initially expressing interest in hosting the show, organisers said Troxy then ignored their calls and emails for several weeks.

Eventually, the venue’s manager, Simon Eaton, informed organisers they would not be accepting the booking due to “the artist’s and event’s connection to Israel”, leaving organisers “shocked and deeply upset”, they said.

Responding to the JC, Eaton did not address allegations that they dropped the show over its alleged links to Israel, saying: “An event enquiry was received and responded to, but no event was ever confirmed in our schedule. As an independent venue, we have a small and incredibly busy team so we're sorry that it took some time to reply to their enquiry.”