Limp Bizkit Show in Estonia Canceled After Fred Durst’s Past Pro-Russia Remarks Resurface
Limp Bizkit will no longer perform in Estonia next year, after past comments from frontman Fred Durst expressing support for Russia resurfaced and prompted swift backlash. The band had been scheduled to appear at Tallinn’s Unibet Arena on May 31, 2026. However, the concert’s event page has since been updated to reflect its cancellation.
According to Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR, promoters initially attempted to postpone the show and explore alternate dates. Despite those efforts, and even after pre-sale tickets briefly became available, promoter Baltic Live Agency ultimately decided to cancel the event entirely. “Due to circumstances beyond the organizer’s control, the Limp Bizkit concert planned for May 31, 2026, is canceled,” the company said in a statement. “Our apologies.”
Representatives for both the band and the promoter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The decision followed immediate public and political criticism after the concert’s announcement. Much of the reaction centered on Durst’s history of pro-Russia statements, particularly in 2015, shortly after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. During that period, Durst expressed interest in obtaining a Russian passport, wrote a letter praising Vladimir Putin as a leader with “clear moral principles,” and held up a sign reading “Crimea = Russia” during a live performance. Durst was at the time married to a Russian woman from Crimea; the couple divorced in 2019. His remarks later led to Limp Bizkit being banned from performing in Ukraine for five years.
Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, publicly criticized the band’s planned appearance. “Russia is the aggressor, and Crimea is occupied by Russia,” he said. “Those who justify Russia’s aggression and the occupation of a neighboring country are not welcome in Estonia. They have no place on Estonian stages and should not be earning income here.” The Ministry of Culture also contacted show organizers, saying it was inappropriate for performers who support a state whose president is subject to an international arrest warrant to appear in Estonia.
Baltic Live Agency initially attempted to contextualize the controversy, suggesting Durst’s comments from that period reflected his personal circumstances rather than an informed political stance. “The only way we can explain it is that at the time, Fred Durst was married to a Russian Crimean woman and evidently living in a distorted information bubble,” media director Gunnar Viese told ERR.
Viese also pointed to the group’s recent touring history in countries aligned with Estonia and Ukraine, including Germany, Austria, and Poland. He noted that Durst has not made recent overt political statements regarding Russia or the war in Ukraine. Though Durst told Russian fans on social media in 2024 that he hoped to see them soon, those comments were treated as standard artist-to-audience communication rather than explicit political messaging.
With the cancellation, Limp Bizkit’s upcoming tour schedule will not include Tallinn, and organizers have not announced plans for an alternative date in the region.
