A concert in honor of Spanish singer Rosalía scheduled for this Thursday in the Argentine city of Córdoba was canceled in the last few hours by its organizers after they received “numerous messages of hate and anger” amid the controversy sparked when the artist shared a post critical of Argentina following the World Cup final, for which she later apologized.
The show “Tribute to Rosalía in Concert – Symphonic Ensemble,” which was scheduled to take place on the esplanade of the Metropolitan Museum of Urban Art (MMAU) in the city of Córdoba, was canceled “for reasons beyond the museum’s control and for the safety of the artists,” according to a statement released by the institution.
The show was to take the audience on a journey through the different stages of Rosalía’s career with a live symphonic ensemble that would combine “flamenco, pop, electronic music, and orchestral sounds” with the aim of “celebrating the artistic exploration, the aesthetic transformation, and the conceptual universe of one of the most innovative and influential artists on the current scene.”
The production company responsible for the event—an Argentine firm with no ties to the Spanish artist—explained that in recent hours it had received “numerous messages of hate and anger” regarding the tribute and clarified that planning for the project began more than four months ago, “long before the events that are now causing such a stir took place.”
Hate messages sparked a backlash against Rosalía in Argentina
“Our goal has always been to create shows that celebrate music and art. We are also Argentine. We are part of a nation where soccer is not just a sport—it is part of our identity, our history, and our culture. That is why we understand the anger, sadness, and disappointment,” they explained in a statement posted on their social media accounts.
The controversy began the day after Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, played on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, when Rosalía shared a video on her TikTok account showing actress Mia Khalifa singing a snippet of the song “La Perla,” accompanied by the caption: “How life sounds now that the pearls have been defeated,” in reference to the South American country’s loss.
Accompanying the images were the lines: “Local disappointment, national heartbreaker, an emotional terrorist, the world’s biggest disaster. “She’s a gem, nobody trusts her,” which led many Argentine users to interpret the post as a provocation and to express their disapproval on social media.
In the face of the controversy, Rosalía deleted the post and apologized. “I hit ‘share’ because ‘La Perla’ was playing, and I didn’t even read what it said—my bad. Sorry,” the singer wrote on Wednesday in an Instagram Story, alongside an Argentine flag. In another post, she added: “I have nothing but love for Argentina.”
The singer’s initial post led many fans to express on social media their intention to sell or return tickets to the concerts the Spanish artist has scheduled at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on August 1, 2, 4, and 6 as part of her LUX international tour, according to Agencia EFE.
