Amid speculation, Dua Lipa has confirmed that she will not perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off Nov. 20 in Qatar. The pop star shared a definitive statement on the matter through social media, denying rumors of her involvement and calling for the host nation to address its human rights abuses.
“I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiations to perform,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “I will be cheering England on from afar.”
She went on to say: “I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.”
FIFA organizers have been highly scrutinized for their decision to host the World Cup in Qatar, which struggled with an overwhelming number of deaths among migrant workers during the construction of stadiums. In addition to poor labor laws, homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
“[The tournament] is the thing you work for your whole life and you don’t want that to be diminished by everything else that is going on around it currently,” England manager Gareth Southgate said in a press conference earlier this week. “But we recognize we are going to be in that situation, we’ve got to accept and deal with it.”
On Nov. 11, BTS‘ Jung Kook was announced as a World Cup performer and contributor to the World Cup soundtrack. Earlier this year, Jung Kook released his solo song “My You,” which followed the band’s chart-topping anthology project, “Proof.” He also collaborated with Charlie Puth on “Left and Right.”
The K-pop singer’s participation falls in line with BTS’hiatus, a decision made by the group in orderto pursue individual music releases and projects. The seven-piece band is also prepping for some of their members to begin Korea’s mandatory military service, with Big Hit recently confirming that “both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.”
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, Qatar with the host nation’s tournament opener against Ecuador. A total of 32 teams representing different countries will participate. The winning team will be recognized as the World Cup champion on Dec. 18.
