A council seeks cancellation

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country's most influential body of Islamic scholars, wants two concerts by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli called off. The performances are set for 31 October at the Borobudur temple, a UNESCO-listed site in Magelang, Central Java, and for 3 November in Jakarta. The council first announced its opposition on 10 October, then met officials from the Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday, 14 October, to discuss the Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour dates in Indonesia. Its objection centres on Bocelli's past support for Israel, which it points to through a 2010 fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Israel Defense Forces and a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv. In its statement, the council argued that giving a platform to a figure linked to military actions connected with humanitarian abuses in Gaza conflicts with Indonesian national values and its religious guidance.

Police and the government response

Police in Magelang have withdrawn their recommendation for a permit covering the Borobudur concert. Reports give the date of that decision as 13 October in one account and Wednesday, 14 October in another, and police have not said why they acted or how it affects the wider permit process. The management of the Borobudur site has not yet said whether the venue will be granted. Tourism Ministry Secretary Bayu Aji said the talks with the council aim at a consensus, and he set out the government's line on the matter.

“The government's stance is clear: we support Palestine, and there are directives from the MUI leaders that we will try to communicate further.”

Aji also said the ministry would align itself with the council if the council had already issued a formal decision.

“But if the MUI has already made a statement, we will certainly be aligned with the MUI's decision.”

Bocelli's position and the wider tour

Bocelli has described his concerts as being about music and solidarity among people, saying no fundraising for political or military purposes is planned. The AP report said neither Bocelli nor the concert organizers had immediately responded to the council's objections. The Indonesian dates form part of the Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour, which celebrates the album that launched the singer to international stardom and includes "Con Te Partirò." The council's objection is not the first controversy of this kind for the 68-year-old tenor. Pro-Palestinian groups in early October called for a boycott of his concert in Petra, Jordan, scheduled for 27 November.

What comes next

The council has asked for both Indonesian concerts to be cancelled, while the ministry is still talking with it. The Borobudur concert is scheduled for 31 October and the Jakarta concert for 3 November, with the Petra concert following on 27 November in Jordan. Whether the Indonesian dates go ahead will depend on the permit decision and the outcome of those talks, and no decision had been reported when the coverage was published. Pending that outcome, the Magelang police recommendation remains withdrawn.

The Borobudur site management has yet to give an answer, so the venue question remains open.