Beret concert in Elche cancelled after his arrest over assault case. The municipality of Elche has cancelled Beret's concert following his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault. Organizers are seeking a replacement for the NITS de Festa festival. The artist is now subject to court-imposed restrictions.
The authorities of Elche (Alicante province) have decided to cancel Beret's concert, which was scheduled for August 10 as part of the NITS de Festa festival. The reason was information about the artist's detention on suspicion of sexual assault. The municipality reported that they are already in talks with organizers to find a new performer as a replacement on the program.
According to official sources, Francisco Javier Álvarez Beret was detained in Seville by officers of the National Police. The reason was a complaint from an adult fan whom the singer met through social media and invited to meet in person. According to investigators, the incident took place in April this year in Seville.
The judicial authorities decided to release Beret under judicial supervision, forbidding him to approach the complainant closer than 500 meters or to contact her in any way. His passport was also temporarily seized for three months. Beret's representative, Andrea Momigliano, declined to comment on the situation, saying only that she would neither confirm nor deny details of the case and expressed dissatisfaction with the press coverage.
Prior to his arrest, Beret performed at a major event in Barcelona, where he sang in front of Pope Leon XIV and 40,000 spectators at the stadium. Incidents of concert cancellations due to emergencies involving artists are not uncommon: previously, as noted by russpain.com, the TV channel TVE pulled a series from the air due to changes in the broadcast schedule connected to a major sporting event — similar decisions have also been made in other areas of culture.
The NITS de Festa festival traditionally attracts thousands of spectators and is considered one of the main summer events in Elche. The cancellation of Beret's performance may affect attendance and the organizers' plans. In Spain, issues of security and artists' reputations are becoming increasingly important for public events. Courts regularly implement temporary restraining orders and no-contact bans in similar cases. In Beret's case, further developments will depend on the course of the investigation and the decisions of the judicial authorities.
