Elton's Gigs In Russia Might Not Happen

Elton John's much-discussed concert in Moscow is this Friday but the show may not be allowed to go on.

According to reports in the Russian media, Sir Elton's mini-tour of Russia is "on the verge of collapse" because of his stated intention to use it as a platform to express his solidarity with Russia's gay community. The singer, who entered into one of the first same-sex civil partnerships in Britain with David Furnish in 2005, is arguably the world's best-known gay man. He said in September he felt compelled to play the gig to support Russian gay men and women in the wake of the law, which the parliament passed in June by 436-0, with one abstention. "As a gay man, I can't leave those people on their own without going over there and supporting them. I don't know what's going to happen, but I've got to go." Russian tabloid newspaper Your Day said that no decision had been made on whether to let the concert go ahead.

More from the Daily Mail:

Elton John is due to perform in Russia this Friday and Saturday – but the concerts could be called off by local officials if they believe his performances will break their ‘gay propaganda’ laws. Quoting Russian paper Your Day, it reports that preparations for the concerts – in Moscow's Crocus City Hall and Kazan - have already been a considerable expense. The rider – a list of requests – apparently runs to 50 pages and includes his hotel dressing room in Moscow being turned into a ‘paradise garden’ populated by ‘decorative birds’ and trees. He has campaigned for gay rights in Britain and in Ukraine where he was denied the right in 2009 to adopt a child because of his age and marital status. This summer, anti-gay campaigners warned Elton not to wear 'flamboyant' clothes at his planned concert in Krasnodar in July. The concert was later cancelled when the singer fell ill.