Severe Air Pollution in New Delhi Forces Cancellation of Charlotte de Witte’s Sunburn Arena Show

Air quality in New Delhi has become critically dangerous, leading officials to prohibit large gatherings. This includes the much-anticipated Sunburn Arena show by Charlotte de Witte, originally scheduled for Saturday, November 23.

AP reports that the alarming air pollution levels in New Delhi are largely due to the practice of burning crop residue by farmers in surrounding rural regions. This issue worsens during the colder months when lower temperatures trap smoke in the atmosphere. Additionally, emissions from industrial activities and coal-fired power generation contribute significantly to the pollution, which has frequently exceeded the World Health Organization’s safe limits.

“Unfortunately, the show in Delhi on Saturday can’t proceed,” Charlotte de Witte announced in an Instagram post. “Due to severe air pollution, the government has prohibited any large events. I’m truly sorry that I won’t be able to be with you this weekend. I hope to deliver the performance you deserve under safer conditions in the future.”

Despite this setback, Charlotte de Witte will still perform at her Mumbai and Bangalore shows scheduled for the same weekend in collaboration with Sunburn Arena. In a related development, the international event brand Brunch Electronik has announced the cancellation of its December 15 event at Jayamahal Palace in Bengaluru, likely due to noise complaints from local residents.

New Delhi is currently in the most severe phase of a four-part response strategy, resulting in school closures, postponed construction projects, and restrictions on non-essential trucks entering the city. Authorities are implementing measures such as sprinklers and cloud seeding to mitigate the dense smog, according to Al Jazeera.