A hostage situation in Sydney has had an impact on the entire culture of the Australian metropolis, as the Sydney Opera Hall has been forced to cancel all its shows, including that of Damon Albarn for Monday night, according to Billboard.
"In light of the situation in the CBD today, tonight's Opera House performances will be cancelled," read a tweet from the venue, which was retweeted by Albarn himself.
For the time being, the performer has agreed to do a double performance on Tuesday, with one show at 7:00 P.M. to make up for Monday's cancellation and the other beginning at 9:30 as originally scheduled. The Sydney Theatre Company's performance of Switzerland and the Australian Ballet's The Nutcracker have also been cancelled for Monday.
The iconic Sydney Opera House is located on the tip of the Central Business District in Sydney, a neighborhood under duress since yesterday when an armed man took a number of hostages inside of a Lindt Chocolate Cafe at Martin Place. Although a number of hostages were either freed or escaped, as of 6:30 A.M. EST the situation was continuing. The man has requested an Islamic State flag and a call from Australian prime minister Tony Abbott.
The man has also made ambiguous threats regarding bombs allegedly placed around the city. There were reports that the Opera House had received a suspicious package but a spokesperson for the venue has denied those claims. Heightened security around the area may continue for weeks however to ensure explosives don't exist.
Obviously our thoughts are with the hostages first, but Albarn's Sydney fans should;t be surprised if Tuesday's shows ultimately get vetoed as well.
