Charlotte de Witte cancels Sydney and Melbourne dates over Middle East risks

Charlotte de Witte announced via Instagram Stories and X that she has cancelled her upcoming shows in Australia this weekend, citing safety and travel risks tied to recent military strikes in the Middle East. The one-off headline show at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion scheduled for Friday, March 6, and her headline appearance at Pitch Music & Arts Festival — which runs Friday, March 6 to Tuesday, March 10 at the Grampian Plains beneath Gariwerd in Moyston, Victoria, with some reports placing her set on Saturday, March 7 — will not go ahead as planned.

De Witte identified the cause directly in her social media statement: “Due to the recent escalation of conflict and drone attacks in the Middle East, it is not possible to risk free reroute travel for myself and my crew. This decision was not taken lightly.” The Belgian DJ and KNTXT label head said, “It is with a heavy heart that I have to cancel my upcoming shows in Australia this weekend,” and added, “I am truly sorry for the disappointment and was very much looking forward to being with you.”

Operational aviation disruptions underpin the cancellations. Mixmag reports that thousands of flights were cancelled after a sequence of strikes — the US and Israel launching strikes on Iran followed by Iranian retaliation against Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — and that Dubai, the world’s busiest transfer airport, was closed for three consecutive days. Those disruptions have halted flights from several Gulf transfer hubs that many Europe-to-Australia routes rely on, complicating rebooking for international artists and crews.

Promoters and festival coverage echoed the logistical strain. Pitch and regional outlets noted that “as the airspaces for those airports remain temporarily closed and airlines are presently not operating, it’s become an even costlier affair for artists and their crews to re-book flights with already packed airlines,” and warned that “rerouting flights that are meant to stop in the Middle East doesn’t come without risk.” Untitled Group, the Melbourne-based promoter producing the dates, pointed to “ongoing global travel disruptions amid conflict in the Middle East” in its messaging.

Ticketing and reschedule details remain in flux. De Witte’s statement said, “We are working on rescheduling the Sydney show and finding an alternative show for Melbourne before the end of the year. All ticket holders will be contacted directly by the event organisers with information regarding refunds or new dates.” Billboard reported the promoter’s wording that “The Sydney show is postponed, not canceled... A new date for the Sydney show is currently being finalized, with an update to be provided within the next 7 days. All tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled date, or refund information will be shared when a new show is announced.”

The cancellations are not isolated to de Witte; German producer Sedef Adasï also cancelled his forthcoming trip to Australia. Pitch’s statement to festival-goers read that “Charlotte de Witte and Sedef Adasï are ‘no longer able to join us this year,’” underscoring the wider touring fallout for acts that route through Gulf transfer hubs. For now, de Witte’s team and Untitled Group are handling contact with ticket holders while fans await a firm reschedule timeline and any refund processing.