Bruno Mars was forced to cancel his concert in Tell Aviv yesterday (October 7) following an attack in which Palestinian militants launched an early morning attack on Southern Israel.
Days earlier (October 4), Mars performed his first concert at Tel Aviv’s Park HaYarkon, and was due to return yesterday (October 7) for the second of the dates.
“Bruno Mars concert scheduled to take place tonight is cancelled,” Live Nation Israel wrote Saturday on Instagram.
“All ticket purchases to the show will receive an automatic refund to the credit card through which the purchase was made. We stand with the residents of Israel, IDF fighters and the security forces in these difficult moments.”
Meanwhile, dozens of Israeli music festival goers were killed following yesterday’s attack.
According to CNN, music fans attending the festival reported that rockets began to hit the site around 6:30am before gunfire opened up on those in attendance soon after.
At the time of writing, media reports say that over 400 Israelis have been killed in the wider conflict, with over 2000 injured and over 100 abducted. According to The Guardian, around 350 Palestinians have also been killed since fighting began. Separate reports from media outlets in the area say up to 250 people have been reported killed at the music festival alone, although there has, as yet, been no official confirmation of these figures.
Eyewitnesses at the festival said gunmen left multiple festival goers dead while dozens were taken hostage. Videos have been circulating on social media showing different attendees being taken hostage.
One eyewitness told CNN they began hearing sirens and rockets while at an all-night event at the festival, a rave that borders the desert near Kibbutz Re’im. “We didn’t even have any place to hide because we were at [an] open space. Everyone got so panicked and started to take their stuff,” they explained.
The eyewitness also reported seeing multiple casualties and fatalities at the scene.
The outdoor trance music festival was reportedly produced by NOVA productions, beginning at 11pm and continued throughout the night. According to The Times of Israel, it was attended by thousands of Israelis aged around 20-40 from all over the country. NME has reached out to NOVA productions for comment.
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