Why Nurlan Saburov’s Concert Was Canceled in Russia: Technical Issues or Old Jokes?

The concert of Kazakh comedian Nurlan Saburov, scheduled to take place on the evening of December 8 in Obninsk, Kaluga region, was suddenly canceled. Late Sunday night, an announcement appeared stating that the artist’s performance would not take place. Orda.kz looked into what might have caused the cancellation.

The announcement was published in the official group of the House of Scientists — the venue where Saburov was supposed to perform.

The performance was planned for Monday at our House of Scientists. But according to our information, the show has been canceled for technical reasons. It is not yet known whether the performance will be rescheduled or fully canceled. We expect to receive details in the near future,the statement said. 

The House of Scientists has sent a letter to the organizer to coordinate a new date for the event. Once a response is received, clear information will be published for the audience.

However, as of 15:30 Moscow time, neither the House of Scientists nor the official page of the Obninsk city administration had provided any clarification. Orda.kz contacted Anastasiya Goltvina — listed as the organizer of concert activities at the House of Scientists — and she replied:

At the moment, the question of rescheduling the performance is being discussed with the event organizers.

Meanwhile, the House of Scientists group published a report from a Sunday performance held just a few hours before the announcement of Saburov’s cancellation — and that show was not hindered by any technical issues.

Russian Telegram channel Mash, citing its sources, reports that the technical reasons — specifically a sudden need to repair the roof — are merely a pretext. According to them, the real reason for canceling Nurlan Saburov’s concert was a “request from activists.”

According to the channel, the concert may have been canceled due to jokes Saburov made three years ago. The reference is to his remarks during an October 2022 show in Almaty, where he joked about Russians who fled mobilization and commented on attitudes in Russia toward migrant workers from Central Asia.

There has been no reaction to the Obninsk cancellation on Nurlan Saburov’s official Instagram.

However, Mash reports:

The stand-up comedian’s manager said they are aware of the situation and promised to refund the ticket money.

This is the second cancellation of a Nurlan Saburov concert in Russia in the past two weeks. On October 29, his show in Nizhnevartovsk was also canceled. The reason given at the time was electrical wiring issues caused by low temperatures.

In early October, a petition was launched in Kazakhstan calling for the cancellation of a concert by Russian rapper Timati, who supports the policies of the Russian authorities. However, his performance ultimately went ahead.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin