Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 3
Xie Na’s Beijing Concert Is Cancelled, Refunding ¥380-¥1,180 Tickets After Backlash
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 3

Xie Na’s Beijing Concert Is Cancelled, Refunding ¥380-¥1,180 Tickets After Backlash

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 3

Summary

  • Xie Na’s organizer scrapped her Beijing concert over the weekend and said ticket buyers would be refunded, halting the first stop of a planned national tour.
  • Online criticism had swelled over her singing ability, ticket prices of ¥380 to ¥1,180 and claims she was cashing in on fame rather than musical credentials.
  • State media sharpened the pressure: a Zhejiang party-committee article said the tour looked like profit-chasing, and People’s Daily warned that recognition without real ability leads to trouble.
  • The cancellation followed sold-out Chengdu shows in May, but analysts said the backlash reflected wider resentment toward celebrities seen as earning easily during youth unemployment and economic strain in China.

Insights

Was a star's cancelled tour about bad singing, or a state-engineered warning to the entire entertainment industry?
When state media targets a pop star, is it about talent or a calculated move to manage social discontent?