Dua Lipa: Singer denies she is performing at Qatar World Cup

Lipa, born in London to Kosovar-Albanian parents, is not the first major name to make a point of not playing in Qatar.

Piece by: BBC NEWS
Entertainment

• Qatar has been criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.

• Other acts including Robbie Williams and BTS's Jung Kook are set to perform.

Dua Lipa: Singer denies she is performing at Qatar World Cup
Image: INSTAGRAM

Dua Lipa has denied reports she will perform at the Fifa World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar.

The singer said she will "look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made" when it became host.

Qatar has been criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.

Other acts including Robbie Williams and BTS's Jung Kook are set to perform.

In February 2021, the Guardian said 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid.

However, the Qatar government has said the total is misleading, because not all the deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.

Lipa posted an Instagram story on Sunday, which read: "There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar.

"I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform.

"I will be cheering England on from afar... One love, Dua."

Lipa, born in London to Kosovar-Albanian parents, is not the first major name to make a point of not playing in Qatar.

Sir Rod Stewart recently revealed he turned down the opportunity.

"I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1m, to play there 15 months ago. I turned it down. It's not right to go," he told the Sunday Times.

"And the Iranians [football team] should be out [of the World Cup] too for supplying arms", he added, in reference to Iran's supply of explosive drones to Russia, which Iran has denied.

Russia was suspended from all competitions by Fifa and Uefa in February, after the country's invasion of Ukraine.

US pop group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, however, are set to perform at events in Qatar during the tournament.

US pop group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, however, are set to perform at events in Qatar during the tournament.

Comedian Joe Lycett, meanwhile, has issued an ultimatum to Qatar World Cup ambassador David Beckham.

Lycett has promised to donate £10,000 of his own money to charity, if the former footballer ends his reported multimillion-pound deal with Qatar.

Homosexuality is illegal in the country, where same-sex relationships can be punishable by the death sentence.

If the former footballer refuses, then Lycett has threatened to shred the £10,000 - just before the World Cup opening ceremony.

Lycett says Beckham's "status as a gay icon" will also be shredded if he doesn't end his relationship with Qatar.

The BBC has contacted David Beckham for comment, and his management responded: "We aren't commenting at this time."

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