Russian authorities cancelled the Rammstein concert festival

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According to festival organizer Maxim Larin on social media site VK, a Russian music festival featuring Rammstein frontman till Lindemann on August 29 has been cancelled owing to suspected pressure from authorities. The event location in Tver, 180 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Moscow, has been blocked off. Officials had already barred rehearsals for the event.

Till Lindemann’s hotel was raided by Russian authorities on Saturday night, according to Interfax and Bild.In certain cases, the singer was detained, as reported in the media. It turns out that Rammstein’s singer was just cautioned to comply with specific COVID-related requirements while performing in Tver, and then the police left.

Anar Reiband, Lindemann’s manager, has been charged with violating immigration restrictions, according to Interfax. Even though concerts were planned, the touring group claimed that their vacation was purely for tourism when they arrived in Russia. While COVID-19 epidemic restrictions were the declared reason for blocking the event, festival organizers suspect that the involvement was tied to the forthcoming Russian presidential elections.

A businessman with ties to Rodina, the nationalist opposition party, Maxim Larin organized the festival (Motherland). As the party’s candidate for the regional parliament, his son was a former Rodina local legislator. Some authorities were said to be upset over Rodina’s inclusion in the event’s name which may be construed as an endorsement of the party.