Roger Waters wins legal battle to perform in Frankfurt
A court decides in his favour
Last updated 27th Apr 2023
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has won his legal battle to perform in the German city of Frankfurt next month.
The outspoken rocker was scheduled to play Frankfurt’s Festhalle on 28th May as part of his first farewell This Is Not A Drill Tour, however in February the show was axed by Frankfurt City Council over his alleged “persistent anti-Israel behaviour.”
In a statement at the time, the council claimed Waters was “one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world.”
The following month, Waters announced the commencement of legal action against Frankfurt City Council, claiming the cancellation was an infringement of “his fundamental human right of freedom of speech.”
His representatives said Frankfurt City Council’s actions were “unconstitutional, without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not.”
In March, Nick Mason was one of 35,000 signatories of a petition calling on authorities to overturn Roger Waters’ concert ban in Frankfurt.
Roger Waters later confirmed he would appear in Frankfurt whatever the court’s decision, writing: ‘The evidence is before the court. We await a decision. One way or another we will be in Frankfurt on the 28th of May 2023.’
Frankfurt’s administrative court yesterday (25th April) confirmed Roger Waters’ legal right to go ahead with the event in 32 days’ time.
They noted that although parts of Roger Waters’ live show were “tasteless” and contained “symbolism manifestly based on that of the National Socialist regime”, the Roger Waters performance should be “viewed as a work of art.”
Crucially, they court ruled that Waters’ concerts “did not glorify or relativise the crimes of the Nazis or identify with Nazi racist ideology”, and there wasn’t any evidence Waters used propaganda material.
According to The Guardian, Christoph Heubner, vice-president of the International Auschwitz Committee, has condemned the court’s decision.
He called it a “cause of great concern” for survivors and their families that there is an alleged “encroachment of antisemitism from various directions” in modern society.
79-year-old Roger Waters’ first farewell tour will hit the UK in late May and early June after his German concerts have taken place.
Roger Waters’ Thursday 25th May concert at the O2 Arena Prague in the Czech Republic will be broadcast 1,500 cinemas across more than 50 countries, including the UK. Tickets are on sale RIGHT HERE.
See Roger Waters at the following UK shows:
MAY 2023
Birmingham Utilita Arena – Wed 31st
JUNE 2023
Glasgow OVO Hydro – Fri 2nd
Glasgow OVO Hydro – Sat 3rd
London The O2 – Tue 6th
London The O2 – Wed 7th
Manchester AO Arena – Sat 10th