For the first time in 20 years, a concert marking Russia Day has been canceled in Moscow

For the first time since 2003, the traditional festive concert on Red Square to mark Russia Day, celebrated on June 12, will not take place in the Russian capital. According to Russian media reports, organizers decided to move the planned event to a different venue, and the list of artists scheduled to perform has been significantly reduced.

The concert, titled “In the Unity of Peoples Lies Russia’s Strength,” was initially announced by singer Nadezhda Babkina’s team. Among the performers scheduled to take part in the event were Shaman, Larisa Dolina, Alexander Buinov, and other well-known Russian artists.

The TV channel “Russia 1” also planned to broadcast the large-scale festive concert. However, according to media reports, the event will now be held at the “Mosovet” Cultural Center on Preobrazhenskaya Square. It is reported that most of the artists previously announced for the program will not participate in the new format of the celebration.

No official reasons were given for the concert’s postponement. However, Russian media link this decision to the security situation and the growing threat of drone attacks. Previously, Russian authorities had already canceled or altered the format of traditional mass events. In particular, this year, for the first time since 2007, no military equipment was paraded on Red Square during the May 9 parade. The Russian Ministry of Defense attributed this to the current operational situation, while the Kremlin cited the threat of attacks from Ukraine.

Celebrations for Russia Day have been held on Red Square since 2003 and have become an annual tradition. The first such event included a theatrical program, a parade of regional representatives, a military parade, and a concert. Since then, similar celebrations have been held every year, drawing thousands of spectators and popular performers.

Despite heightened security measures, large public events continue to be held in Moscow. For instance, a book festival took place on Red Square in early June. At the same time, Russian authorities regularly report on the operation of air defense systems around the capital. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, on the night of June 11 alone, 15 drones were shot down as they approached the city, and the day before, the Russian military announced the interception of another 31 drones near the capital.