Concerts postponed, sports stadiums left empty following renewed conflict with Iran

Two major concerts, a theater awards show and a book festival were pushed off Monday due to the renewed fighting with Iran, as athletes in Israel’s basketball leagues called for the cancellation of their games, which are set to be played in front of empty arenas.

The changes and cancellations across sports, arts and culture were unfolding after Iranian missile fire on Israel also led to the shuttering of schools and grounding of some flights. Iran fired multiple missile salvos at Israel on Sunday night and Monday for the first time in two months, despite a ceasefire being in effect in the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic. Israel responded with strikes on Iran, leaving open the possibility that the fighting could go on, though both sides said Monday afternoon that they would hold their fire.

Should the conflict continue, ongoing public safety restrictions from the Home Front Command could force the shutdown of LGBTQ Pride Month events as well, including Friday’s Pride Parade in Tel Aviv. The uncertainty comes a year after the first round of war between Jerusalem and Tehran also wiped out a slate of cultural events, including Pride celebrations, in June 2025.

This week, Omer Adam’s concert in Petah Tikva and Agam Buhbut’s performance in Caesarea, which the star singers had both scheduled for Monday evening, were postponed due to restrictions limiting indoor gatherings to 500 people, and outdoor events to 200. Adam is set to appear in a series of shows this week, as is A-list singer Eyal Golan.

Buhbut wrote in a message to fans that she was canceling and rescheduling the show with a “heavy heart.”

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“I had waited so much to meet you, to sing with you and to share in the excitement together,” she wrote on Instagram. “The stage is already set, everything is ready down to the last detail, but what’s most important to me, above all else, is that we all stay safe.”

Adam wrote in his own message, “This isn’t the first time this is happening to us, and unfortunately we’re used to this situation. So let’s hope, first of all, that everyone stays healthy in body and soul.”

Israeli basketball playoff games, meanwhile, were set to tip off on Monday night despite the fighting, but will take place in empty stadiums due to the restrictions on gatherings. The decision to move forward with the games sparked protest from American players on Israeli teams, two of whom, on Hapoel Tel Aviv, have left Israel amid the fighting.

Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Lonnie Walker IV, whose team is set to play Hapoel Holon in Game 1 of their series, called the decision to hold the match “unsafe.”

“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated with the league’s decision to continue with the game as scheduled tonight,” he wrote on Instagram. “After a sleepless night, constant stress, nonstop calls from our families, uncertainty about what comes next, and memories of similar situations in the past, we do not feel ready to play — neither mentally nor physically.”

He added, “We are not robots. We are human beings dealing with fear, concern for our loved ones, and a reality that is affecting every aspect of our lives.”

Sunday night’s game between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem was halted before the fourth quarter to allow the fans in the stadium to leave safely.

Also postponed was Tel Aviv-Yafo’s Theater Awards Ceremony, due to take place on Monday. The decision marks the second time the ceremony, originally scheduled for March, is being postponed due to the Iran war.

Hebrew Book Week, scheduled for this week, will also be postponed as a result of the war. The decision came despite book stalls and sellers already stationed by municipalities in various cities.

Organizers promised that the resumption of hostilities does not mean a total cancellation of the festival, which will take place “the moment conditions permit,” according to a notice on the festival’s website.

Last year, Hebrew Book Week was canceled due to the conflict with Iran, and returned soon after the ceasefire was in place.

Among the events thrown into limbo is DJ Ofer Nissim’s annual Pride Month concert at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park, scheduled for Saturday.

Nissim’s previous shows were canceled as a result of the fighting with Iran. He was meant to perform ahead of Purim on February 28, the first day of the war.

Organizers of Nissim’s concert have yet to announce whether this year’s event will go ahead, saying they are awaiting further developments before issuing guidance to ticket holders.