Organisers of the Zion Festival 2026 music event in Tbilisi, Georgia, have banned Russian citizens from attending the gathering, according to Telegram channel SHOT.
The music festival is scheduled to take place in the Georgian capital on September 25 and September 26. However, Russian spectators will be denied entry to the event.
Russian citizens spent a combined total of around 500,000 rubles on tickets for the festival before the ban was announced. Affected ticket holders are currently trying to obtain refunds through customer support services.
In response to the ban, some ticket holders have sent a formal letter to the Public Defender of Georgia, accusing the event organisers of discrimination on the grounds of nationality. The Public Defender operates as Georgia's national human rights ombudsman, tasked with protecting individual rights and freedoms under Georgian law.
Before the ban was announced, tickets for the Zion Festival 2026 were sold at prices ranging from 2,700 to 4,500 rubles. Sales of tickets for the festival are still ongoing, including through at least one Russian-language ticketing service.
Concerts cancelled in Batumi earlier this year
Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, located in the South Caucasus region along the banks of the Kura River. As a major cultural hub, the city routinely hosts international music festivals, art exhibitions, and public performances.
The entry ban at the Tbilisi festival follows other recent concert cancellations in Georgia. In August, previously scheduled live performances by the Russian music group t.A.T.u. and singer Ani Lorak were cancelled in the Black Sea city of Batumi.
The exact reason for the cancellation of the August concerts in Batumi remains unknown. The pop group t.A.T.u. gained widespread international success in the early 2000s, while Ani Lorak is a well-known pop vocalist who has performed extensively throughout Eastern Europe.
Batumi is the second largest city in Georgia and serves as a major tourist destination and port on the Black Sea coast. Ticket sales for the upcoming Zion Festival 2026 remain open as affected buyers await responses regarding their refund requests.
