A sold-out Mother's Day concert by Uzbek pop star Yulduz Usmonova at the Oceana Theater in Brighton Beach is off, after local officials and activists lined up against the booking. The theater says ticket holders will get their money back, while Usmonova took to social media to argue she is being punished for criticizing Israel and made it clear she has no intention of apologizing.
The cancellation came on the heels of a Monday press conference outside the Oceana, where Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and local Republican lawmakers urged the venue to drop the May 9 show. Soon after, the theater posted that it had pulled the event and would refund tickets, as reported by Gothamist. Blakeman declared, "We stood firm against antisemitism and all hate speech, and as a result canceled the performance of a Jew hater."
Officials Call For Visa Review
Assemblymember Michael Novakhov weighed in with his own broadside, calling Usmonova's past remarks "vile, dangerous, antisemitic" and saying that he and Blakeman planned to push the federal government to review her travel authorization. Local reporting says organizers also asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider revoking her visa, according to Brighton Beach News.
Organizer And Artist Reactions
Asiya Burgos, the New Jersey-based promoter who booked the show for the local Uzbek community, told reporters the concert had been "co-opted by politics" and said organizers were frustrated by how quickly it turned into a flashpoint, Gothamist reported.
Usmonova, for her part, posted a video on Instagram doubling down on her criticism of Israel. Addressing her detractors, she said, "If you are a Jewish Zionist that thinks I will apologize, you are deeply mistaken," and told fans she planned to keep performing.
What's Next
For now, Usmonova is still listed to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on May 11, according to event listings on AXS. Any move to actually pull her visa would rest with federal authorities, not county executives or state lawmakers. The State Department has broad authority to revoke visas, and its U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual spells out revocation procedures.
The Oceana's decision leaves a sold-out crowd without its Mother's Day headliner but with promised refunds, and the dust-up underscores how overseas conflicts can quickly morph into neighborhood political brawls. Organizers and elected officials say they may still press federal authorities for further action, according to reporting by Brighton Beach News.
