Russian Band Bi-2 Suspends Concerts in Specific Countries Amid Safety Concerns

In a recent interview with TV channel Dozhd's "Drama Queens" program, Lyova from the Russian rock band Bi-2 announced their decision to temporarily halt performances in several countries, including Kazakhstan, citing safety concerns.

Unfortunately, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were our favorite countries, where we visited with great pleasure. But now, apparently, the time is such that we need to take a break, the Bi-2 frontman stated.

The band, which has maintained an apolitical stance except for their opposition to the Russia-Ukraine war, recently had to cancel a planned concert in Azerbaijan:

We didn't consider Azerbaijan a red zone for us, but today we read the news that someone was arrested there on orders from Russia, so it looks like we'll have to cancel the concert, Lyova explained.

Regarding their political position, Lyova emphasized:

We have always been an apolitical group. I say this without any hypocrisy. And even now, when we live abroad, and some political events arise somewhere, and we are invited, we refuse. Except for the anti-war position. What happens around gets into the work.

The announcement follows a series of recent events:

• Cancellation of their performance at the Family Rock Fest in Qonayev last August
  
• Their detention by Thai police in January 2024 with potential deportation to Russia
  
• Lyova's designation as a foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice
  
• The band's relocation to Israel following Russia's invasion of Ukraine

This development comes amid a broader trend affecting Russian artists who oppose the war, as evidenced by the recent cancellation of two Kazakhstan concerts by another anti-war Russian rock band, Naiv, in early February 2025.

Original Author: Maria Kravtsova