Matisyahu: Tucson venue responds as singer appears to blame concert cancellation on antisemitism

TUCSON, Ariz. - A concert venue in Southern Arizona is responding, after Jewish-American singer Matisyahu appeared to blame antisemitism as a factor in the canceling of his show in the area on Feb. 15.

In a brief statement posted hours prior to the concert on their Facebook page, officials with The Rialto Theatre in Tucson cited "safety concerns and staff shortage" as factors in canceling the show, while apologizing for the late cancellation notice.

"We will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding all ticketholders," read a portion of the statement released by the theatre.

On his X (formerly Twitter) page, Matisyahu released a statement that addressed not only the cancellation in Tucson, but another cancellation in Santa Fe, N.M.

Matisyahu performs at Amway Center during Jewish Heritage night following a game between the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

For the Tucson show, the singer said they offered to supplement the staff shortage, but to no avail.

"They do this because they are either anti-Semitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians," Matisyahu wrote, in part.

We have reached out to officials with The Rialto Theatre for comment, and their executive director, Cathy Rivers, issued a statement that read:

"Let me be very clear on this situation. The decision to not have Matisyahu play tonight was not made about politics or religion. This decision was made based on safety. The temperature of the day changed, and the tone was not set by us. This escalated to a concern of safety for our patrons, our staff, and our community. We have hosted Matisyahu at our theatre many times but today was not the day to have him play. He was paid in full and ticket refunds are available to all ticket holders."