Limp Bizkit Cancel Tallinn Concert Over Fred Durst's Pro-Russian Past
In a move widely seen as a response to criticism from Estonian officials, the organizers of Limp Bizkit's concert in Tallinn have canceled the show. The event was set for May 31, 2026, at Unibet Arena but has now been marked as "canceled" on the venue's Facebook page.
The cancellation comes after Fred Durst, the band's lead singer, faced backlash online over his past pro-Russian statements. Last year, Limp Bizkit made headlines when they were banned from Ukraine for five years due to Durst's comments about Russia and its annexation of Crimea in 2015. At the time, Durst expressed a desire to obtain Russian citizenship and even called Vladimir Putin a "great guy with clear moral principles." He also displayed a sign on stage during one of his concerts that read "Crimea=Russia."
Durst was married to Kseniya Beryazina, a Russian makeup artist from Crimea, at the time. The couple divorced in 2019.
The Estonian government has long been critical of Russia's actions in Ukraine and has made it clear that anyone who supports or justifies Russia's aggression is not welcome in Estonia. Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna stated that those who justify Russia's actions have "no place on Estonian stages" and should not be earning income here.
The Ministry of Culture also got involved, with a spokesperson saying that it was unacceptable for Limp Bizkit to perform in Estonia due to Durst's past comments. The band's promoter, Baltic Live Agency, attempted to downplay the situation by explaining that Durst had been "living in a distorted information bubble" at the time.
However, this explanation did little to mitigate the backlash against Limp Bizkit's decision to play in Tallinn. The organizers ultimately decided to cancel the concert rather than risk further controversy.
Limp Bizkit has not commented on the cancellation.
In a move widely seen as a response to criticism from Estonian officials, the organizers of Limp Bizkit's concert in Tallinn have canceled the show. The event was set for May 31, 2026, at Unibet Arena but has now been marked as "canceled" on the venue's Facebook page.
The cancellation comes after Fred Durst, the band's lead singer, faced backlash online over his past pro-Russian statements. Last year, Limp Bizkit made headlines when they were banned from Ukraine for five years due to Durst's comments about Russia and its annexation of Crimea in 2015. At the time, Durst expressed a desire to obtain Russian citizenship and even called Vladimir Putin a "great guy with clear moral principles." He also displayed a sign on stage during one of his concerts that read "Crimea=Russia."
Durst was married to Kseniya Beryazina, a Russian makeup artist from Crimea, at the time. The couple divorced in 2019.
The Estonian government has long been critical of Russia's actions in Ukraine and has made it clear that anyone who supports or justifies Russia's aggression is not welcome in Estonia. Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna stated that those who justify Russia's actions have "no place on Estonian stages" and should not be earning income here.
The Ministry of Culture also got involved, with a spokesperson saying that it was unacceptable for Limp Bizkit to perform in Estonia due to Durst's past comments. The band's promoter, Baltic Live Agency, attempted to downplay the situation by explaining that Durst had been "living in a distorted information bubble" at the time.
However, this explanation did little to mitigate the backlash against Limp Bizkit's decision to play in Tallinn. The organizers ultimately decided to cancel the concert rather than risk further controversy.
Limp Bizkit has not commented on the cancellation.
oh man, cant believe they cancelled limp bizkit concert in tallinn... gotta feel bad for the fans who were hyped up for it... dont blame em tho, durst's pro russian past is sketchy at best... all that drama with russia and crimea... 
and he even called putin a great guy lol what was he thinking?! 
anywayz, guess the estonian gov and culture min are standin strong on their anti russian stance... not sure if it's right or wrong but cant deny they had to take action here 
might be nice if they organized another concert in future tho... hope they do! 
... So like, I get why Estonia is all about keeping it real with Russia and Ukraine and stuff, but Limp Bizkit's cancellation just seems like a PR disaster to me 
. Like, can't we have nuance? Fred Durst has grown up, moved on from his pro-Russian phase, and now he's married to someone from Ukraine... doesn't that cancel out the "bad boy" image? 
Plus, the whole Crimea=Russia thing was just a weird moment in time. Can we really punish them for something they said 10 years ago? 
. It's not surprising that the Estonian government stepped in and said no to Fred Durst's pro-Russian past - we should respect other countries' opinions and values, especially when it comes to sensitive issues like Ukraine 
.
. The Estonian government is right to stand firm on this one - their country has its own history and experiences with Russia, and they shouldn't be forced to host a concert that might be seen as supporting or justifying Russian aggression 
.
. maybe they'll just have to find another date to rock out in estonia 
I mean, I get where the Estonian government is coming from - Russia's actions in Ukraine are super concerning and it's not cool that they're just walking all over someone else's country. 
But at the same time, I don't think Fred Durst's views are necessarily a huge deal... he was young and stupid when he made those comments, but we've all been there, right? 
I don't think it's fair to penalize the whole band for one guy's mistakes... can't we just separate the artist from the person, you know? 
The thing is, now everyone's talking about how Limp Bizkit cancelled on Tallinn and it's like a big deal or something. 
.
.
Cancelling their concert over some old tweets feels kinda petty, if you ask me... maybe they should've just had a conversation with Durst and figured out how to address the issue beforehand 
dont let ppl bully u over some old comments. Limp Bizkit's still gonna make bank off this no-show tho 
. The thing is, the Estonian government has been clear about its stance on Russia, and you can't just dismiss that because of how much time has passed 
but it feels like Limp Bizkit got totally roasted online 
. Now they're gonna miss out on a sick concert 
or a sick tour 
. Better safe than sorry, right? The concert got cancelled and honestly its probably for the best.
to see them perform live 
but I get it 
. Fred Durst's past comments were really problematic 
. I love how clear they are 
about what's not welcome in their country 
. Maybe Limp Bizkit should've been more careful with their words 
before performing in Estonia 
. Still, it's a bummer that fans won't get to see them live 
. Can we have a more nuanced conversation about artistic freedom and political views instead of just piling on the drama 
?
They should at least issue a statement or something. This whole thing is just really confusing and sad 