Patrick Bruel cancels summer festivals amid sexual assault claims

Patrick Bruel’s production company, 14 Productions, announced on 29 May that the singer has cancelled all festival concerts scheduled from June to September, including a three‑date run at Paris’s Cirque d’Hiver. The decision, described as a move to avoid “tension” for organizers and audiences, affects about a dozen festivals in France and also led to the cancellation of shows in Switzerland, Belgium and Quebec.

Bruel, who faces at least four rape investigations in France and one sexual‑assault probe in Belgium, denied all accusations. The cancellations followed pressure from feminist groups, a petition that gathered over 47 000 signatures, and calls from mayors of cities such as Paris and Marseille.

In addition, the artist withdrew from the upcoming Enfoirés charity concert, and several broadcasters removed his songs from programmes – notably Nagui’s “N’oubliez pas les paroles” on France 2 and the RFM radio station. Protesters from the “Nous Toutes” collective also disrupted a theatre performance he was starring in. His autumn tour dates (October–November) remain tentatively scheduled pending the legal outcome.