Musician Kordz’s concert in Gori canceled amid political pressure

A concert by Georgian musician Alexander Kordzaia, known as Kordz, scheduled for September 26 in Gori has been canceled. The performance was part of the Kamara festival, an event organized by the Danish Cultural Institute and funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Goethe-Institut Georgia.

The Danish Cultural Institute stated the festival could not proceed as planned due to “security considerations.” Kordzaia reported that the local Gori municipality threatened the venue with an “angry mob” and claimed there were no security guarantees following threats from the ruling Georgian Dream party and pro-government media.

Members of the ruling Georgian Dream party have commented on the cancellation. MP Irakli Kadagishvili suggested that the cancellation allowed the EU and Denmark to avoid an “awkward situation,” while MP Irakli Shatakishvili criticized the musician's rhetoric, describing it as containing “fascist and hate-filled” language that is unacceptable to the majority of Georgian society.