Country Artists Cancel Upcoming SeaWorld Performances
A handful of country stars have cancelled upcoming performances at SeaWorld Orlando following several petitions and protests stemming from the documentary “Blackfish,” which was released earlier this year.
So far, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood, and Martina McBride have cancelled their performances at the park, which were scheduled for next spring during SeaWorld’s Bands, Brew & BBQ event.
Nelson was the first to cancel, followed by Yearwood, then McBride, who posted the following statement on her Facebook page after the announcement was made. “I’ve decided that given all the issues that have been aired recently, the time isn’t right for me to play at Seaworld. I have cancelled my scheduled performance at the Bands, Blues & BBQ event in March 2014.”
These acts join Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Heart, and Barenaked Ladies, bringing the total of cancelled performances to seven so far.
SeaWorld responded to the latest cancellations with the following statement, which was obtained by WFTV.com:
The bands and artists have a standing invitation to visit any of our parks to see firsthand or to speak to any of our animal experts to learn for themselves how we care for animals and how little truth there is to the allegations made by animal extremist groups opposed to the zoological display of marine mammals.
We continue to book other bands and artists as we plan for another great Bands, Brew & BBQ event in 2014. We’ll announce our full lineup when all artists have been confirmed.
The original Brands, Brew & BBQ event schedule also included performances from Scotty McCreery and Justin Moore, however, the park’s website has since removed the concert schedule.
