The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia has issued an official statement responding to the postponement of the Kamara Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Gori as part of the “Creative Compass – Georgia” project.
The EU Delegation expressed regret that the organizers were compelled to postpone the Brussels-funded event due to safety concerns.
The statement emphasized the 30-year cultural partnership between the EU and Georgia. As noted in the release, the European Union has actively supported Georgia for three decades in safeguarding its unique cultural heritage, fostering creative industries, and connecting Georgian artists and cultural organizations with their European counterparts.
Amid government pressure, a concert by Kordz scheduled at an art house in Gori was cancelled, according to both the musician and the Kamara Festival organizers.
“Friends, you know that my concert scheduled at the art house in Gori was facing severe threats. The reason is simple: due to attacks and intimidation from local authorities, representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and propaganda media outlets, there are no safety guarantees on the ground. It is tragic that local youth are the primary victims of this political attack. I am deeply saddened that this is the reality we live in. And a massive thank you to everyone for your solidarity!” Alexandre Kordzaia (Kordz) said in a statement.
The concert had been organized as part of the Kamara Festival, conducted by the Danish Cultural Institute under the four-year (2023–2027) “Creative Compass – Georgia” initiative, funded by the EU and co-financed by the Goethe-Institut Georgia.
“Due to security concerns, the Kamara Festival cannot proceed in its planned format and is therefore being postponed. We appreciate your strong interest in the event,” the Danish Cultural Institute announced.
In a separate post, Kordz stated that he had expected more support from the organizers.
“The Gori Municipality threatened the venue with ‘angry crowds’ unless they cancelled my performance. This followed a week of intolerable attacks by pro-government media and parliamentarians.
The event’s sponsors (the European Union, the Goethe-Institut, and the Danish Cultural Institute) seem to find it acceptable to leave what is happening unaddressed. I believe this is unacceptable. Having my concerts shut down by the ruling party marks a new low, and even minimal support from the organizers would have gone a long way,” the musician wrote.
The cancellation was preceded by a concerted campaign by state officials and pro-government media, as well as inquiries directed at the EU Ambassador questioning whether the European Union “shares responsibility for insulting more than one million Georgians.”
“The European Union must decide: it either becomes complicit in hurling abuse at the majority of the Georgian people and labeling them slaves, or it distances itself from such conduct,” stated Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
Georgian Dream has targeted Kordz over his musical score for the protest track “Ole-Ola,” which contains disparaging lyrics aimed at the government.
