Bulgarian Eurovision winner Dara has withdrawn from a planned appearance at the Dream Fest music event in Baku, Azerbaijan, after controversy over the participation of performers linked to pro-Russian positions on the war in Ukraine, according to Eurovision Fun. She had initially been announced as one of the main acts for the festival’s opening day, but her involvement triggered criticism online, particularly from Ukrainian users.
The backlash centered on the festival lineup, which includes several artists such as Ani Lorak, GeeGun, Artik & Asti, Egor Kreed, Irina Dubtsova, Stas Mikhaylov, and Alsou, some of whom are accused of publicly supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A number of these performers, including Lorak and Alsou, have also previously taken part in Eurovision.
Following the reaction, Dara decided to cancel her participation, though organizers confirmed that Dream Fest will still go ahead as scheduled from July 23 to 26, featuring more than 50 artists from various countries.
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