US sanctions against Russia could result in a Miley Cyrus concert in Finland being postponed.
Cyrus, Justin Timberlake and a number of other American musicians have gigs lined up at Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena, but the venue is part-owned by three Russian tycoons who have ties to Vladimir Putin. All three are on an official list of Russian businessmen and officials that US businesses and citizens have been prohibited from providing “economic resources” to due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Live Nation, the US-based promoter, booked the upcoming concerts, but company representatives now say they plan to uphold the US sanctions.
Live Nation Finland chief executive Nina Castren explained that they are looking into the possibility of what impact the American artists performing at the venue could have. She said the company’s lawyers are currently investigating the situation, but admitted they still do not know if the shows will have to be cancelled.
The UK’s Financial Times claims Live Nation could be prevented from carrying out financial transactions with the venue. A lawyer who spoke with the FT, which first broke the story, said the legality of the dealings between the arena and the promoter could well depend on whether the transactions took place before the sanctions were issued in March.
The Hartwall Arena’s website still states that Cyrus and Timberlake will perform their concerts as well as other musicians including Nine Inch Nails and Aerosmith.