Pantera’s Vienna Show Has Been Cancelled

Yesterday morning, organizers for German festivals Rock am Ring and Rock Im Park removed Pantera from their lineups, citing Phil Anselmo‘s past racist gestures, based on conversations with artists and others involved with the festival.

Last night, Pantera’s show in Vienna, Austria was canceled. Though no reason was given in the statement by promoter Mind Over Matter Music, the fact that it comes on the back of the German cancellations suggests that Anselmo’s prior actions may have had a role.

“Pantera concert on the 31st May 2023 at the Vienna Gasometer will be canceled. All tickets can be returned where they were purchased. Thank you for your understanding.”

As you probably remember, Anselmo was infamously seen throwing up a Nazi salute and yelling “white power” at Dimebash, a Dimebag Darrell memorial event, in 2016. Anselmo tried to defend the situation as a tasteless joke about white wine he was allegedly drinking backstage and that he was responding to fans antagonizing him, a defense that was widely written off as an excuse.

Apparently a lot of the push to have Pantera removed came from the German Green party, which told the Nürnberg city council that Anselmo “repeatedly and deliberately made Nazi gestures and yelled racist slogans.” Recently, a German author also called for a boycott against Pantera late last month.

The following Pantera shows have been cancelled:

5/31 – Vienna Gasometer – Vienna, Austria
6/2-4 – Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park – Nürnberg, Germany

We’ll continue to provide updates if more cancellations come.