Rod Stewart turned down a “lucrative” opportunity to perform in Saudi Arabia to “shine a light on the injustices there” against women, journalists and LGBT+ people.
The 78-year-old singer issued a statement on Instagram explaining his decision not to perform in the Gulf nation, where homosexuality is punishable by death.
He wrote: “I’m grateful I have the choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices – women, the LGBTQ+ community, the press.
“I’d like my choice not to go... to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change.”
The singer was “determined to do the right thing” by refusing the offer, a source told The Mirror, adding that “some things are more important” than money.
He previously revealed he was offered $1m (£815,130) to perform at a show in Qatar, but similarly declined the offer because of the country’s long history of human rights violations, including labour abuses, discrimination against women and the queer community. Homosexuality is also illegal in Qatar, punishable by up to three years in prison.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Stewart was asked about Qatar hosting the football World Cup and whether he would have considered performing at the tournament.
“I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1m, to play there 15 months ago. I turned it down,” he said, at the time. “It’s not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms.”
In 2021, an investigation by The Guardian uncovered that 6,500 migrant workers – from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka – had died in Qatar since the Gulf state won the bid to host the World Cup in 2010.
“The 2022 World Cup’s legacy will depend on whether Qatar remedies with Fifa the deaths and other abuses of migrant workers who built the tournament, carries out recent labour reforms, and protects human rights for all in Qatar – not just for visiting fans and footballers,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, ahead of kick-off.
Despite the controversy, several celebrities such as BTS star Jungkook, Robbie Williams, the Black Eyed Peas, and Morgan Freeman performed at the event, while David Beckham controversially accepted a paid ambassadorship role for $10m.
Meanwhile, Dua Lipa and Shakira were among those who distanced themselves from rumours they had been approached to perform at the World Cup.
In 2019, Nicki Minaj cancelled a scheduled performance at a music festival in Jeddah, expressing her support for the rights of women and members of the LGBT+ community, following criticism on social media.
