Kazakhstan has united in national mourning for the servicemen killed in the Mangystau Region, and the country's cultural life has paused: organizers and artists are mass-postponing shows, concerts, and performances scheduled for this day, reports infohub.kz.
Musicians, concert teams, galleries, and leading theaters are one after another sharing news of changes to their touring schedules.
Thus, a concert scheduled for September 25 in Almaty, featuring a world tribute show dedicated to Michael Jackson's work, has been postponed to September 28. However, a similar show will go ahead unchanged on September 26.
Kazakh singer Yernar Sadirbayev, known on stage as Amre, announced the cancellation of his performance and the postponement of all concerts, releases, and all events until October 1 due to the tragic situation in the country.
BI Group project presentations scheduled for September 25 at Almaty Theatre have been moved to October 2. The company noted that all previously issued registrations remain valid.
In addition, stand-up comedian and blogger Azat Marat, better known as Zee, has postponed his performance in Semey to September 27. Zee also expressed condolences to all the families and loved ones of the victims.
In Shymkent, a concert by Ne Prosto Orchestra was to take place on this day. The event has also been postponed to September 30.
Young and popular Kazakh pop star Abzal Uteshov also announced the postponement of his concert in Astana. The event will take place on September 29.
Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with heated debate. Users in comments are demanding the complete cancellation and postponement of other major autumn events. In particular, upcoming large performances by Sadraddin and Kairat Nurtas are being discussed. However, the artists' own schedules list later dates. Sadraddin's stadium show is planned for September 26 and 27 in Almaty, and Nurtas's anniversary concert for September 27 in Astana and October 4 in Almaty.
Kazakhstanis planning cultural outings in the coming days are advised to check the status of events in advance. Follow organizers' updates and verify whether the date has changed.
Recall that on September 24, during training and combat tasks by the Naval Forces in the Caspian Sea, 17 servicemen were swept into the open sea due to a sudden storm and gusty wind. As a result of the incident, 14 people died.
In connection with the deaths of the soldiers, President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev declared September 25 a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that five officials of the Ministry of Defense were detained in the case of the deaths of servicemen during the "Khazar Korgans — 2026" exercises in the Caspian Sea. Among the suspects are the first deputy commander-in-chief of Kazakhstan's naval forces and the commander of the "Kaisar" boat, from which personnel were disembarked.