French DJ and music producer David Guetta saw his performance in Bengaluru cancelled on Thursday, January 12, and then there were reports that he would not be allowed to perform in Mumbai and Noida as well. It has now emerged that his performance in Mumbai has been rescheduled, and while the Noida performance stands cancelled, the Delhi performance may also not happen.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday evening did not give permission for a performance by Guetta, leading to his show there being cancelled. This was the third performance of his that was cancelled in India this week, the previous two being in Mumbai and Bengaluru, and in each case the reason appears to be some form of security lapse or lack of arrangement on behalf of the organisers.
Even the Delhi performance now stands cancelled, because the organisers had not taken the permission otherwise required to organise a large-scale programme at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in the national capital.
Initially, Guetta's much-awaited performance in Bengaluru was cancelled on Thursday, January 12, and the organisers were quick to point out that the police had said this was due to the New Year's eve molestation allegations and resulting law-and-order repercussions.
However, the police soon clarified that the organisers had been late in seeking permission for the show, which was denied because there was a local body election for which heavy police presence would be required. The police also said they were aboard with the plan if another day was chosen for the performance.
Then, on Friday, when Guetta was slated to perform in Mumbai, the permission was cancelled because the organisers had not taken the requisite permissions and did not have their documents in order. However, it later emerged that the show was on, but on a different date.
The organisers tweeted: "We are pleased to say that we have succeeded to reschedule the Mumbai event on January 15, 1100hrs-1600hrs at the same venue 'Jio Gardens', Bandra. New Delhi event will be as per schedule too i.e January 15 1600hrs onward. David Guetta will be doing two shows on Sunday (January 15) in two different cities [sic]."
Meanwhile, the UP Police denied permission for Guetta's concert in Noida — slated for Saturday — by saying on Saturday that the upcoming Assembly elections in the state had already put a strain on the police resources there. A police source told News18: "The permission was denied on the grounds that Section 144 had already been invoked due to the impending polls in Uttar Pradesh and heavy requirement of force."
And finally, Guetta's performance in Hyderabad seems to be on track, with even the Cyberabad Police on board.
