Over 42,000 people, the vast majority of whom came from abroad, attended a concert performed by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh in Bucharest on Saturday, May 23. Virtually unknown in Romania, the artist popular for his anti-war stance gathered the largest number of foreign tourists brought to an event in the country and may have set a record for a live event, according to media reports.
The influx of foreign tourists to the event was a first for Romania. “Out of a total of over 42,000 tickets sold, almost 39,000 are from other countries, such as Ukraine, Poland, and the Republic of Moldova. It is the largest number of foreign tourists brought to an event in Romania,” said Emagic, the concert organizers.
During the concert, the rapper urged fans to chant “Bucharest, Bucharest!” Afterwards, he said he wanted to go to Transylvania and invited his fans to join him.
Another symbolic moment was when the chant “Ukraine! Ukraine!” started being heard in the National Arena.
Spectators sang and danced throughout the concert. At the end, the artist thanked Romania for the warm welcome.
The full concert can be watched on YouTube – here.
Who is Max Korzh
Maksim Anatolyevich Korzh, known on stage as Max Korzh, was born on November 23, 1988, in Luninets, Belarus. He moved to Minsk at a young age to attend a music school, and at 18, he released his first solo track.
With seven studio albums since then, Korzh is one of the biggest names in the post-Soviet space. His songs, most of which are in Russian, speak about friendship, love, mistakes, hopes, and self-discovery. His unique musical style combines hip-hop, pop, and rock elements, winning over audiences in Eastern Europe, according to HotNews.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the artist released the song “My Home,” with the lyrics “whoever defends their home is right.” On March 20, 2024, two years after the war began, Korzh released the song “Cold Morning,” continuing to send messages of peace. As a result, the artist was placed on a blacklist by Belarusian authorities and was prevented from performing in his home country. In October 2024, he was forced to permanently leave Belarus after being summoned by police for a “political discussion.” According to pro-government Telegram channels, Korzh was accused of “supporting Ukrainian terrorists.”
Over recent years, Korzh has performed in capitals such as Warsaw, Kyiv, Minsk, Moscow, and Odesa. His concert last Saturday marked the artist’s first performance in Romania.
Enhanced security measures in Bucharest
Max Korzh sold out the National Arena, the largest stadium in the Romanian capital, in just five days. The massive influx of fans from Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and Germany led Romanian authorities to impose unprecedented security measures, many of which were in place in advance.
Hundreds of young people from Ukraine and Moldova crossed the border to Romania in the days leading up to the concert. In response, the Romanian Border Police intensified checks at border crossing points in Suceava, Galați, Bihor, and Vama Albița. The measures aimed to ensure participant safety and prevent potential incidents. During these checks, two citizens, one Polish and one Belarusian, were found in Borș carrying substances suspected to be narcotics and hallucinogens.
One day before the concert, on May 22, 2026, a violent conflict broke out in the Old Town between several Romanian and Ukrainian citizens. According to the Bucharest Police, gendarmes in the area quickly intervened to defuse the situation, and several people aged between 17 and 52 were involved in the altercation. A 51-year-old Ukrainian citizen needed medical care and was transported to the University Hospital.
Judicial sources told Libertatea that the Ukrainian citizens were fans attending the Max Korzh concert, while the Romanians were members of the Gremium motorcycle group. Authorities opened a criminal case for disturbing public order and peace, as well as for assault and other acts of violence.
On the day of the concert, mounted gendarmes accompanied fans on the road to the stadium, and more than 5,000 law enforcement officers were mobilized across the city to monitor the event.
The concert itself was without major incidents, but several spectators needed medical care after either fainting or complaining of leg pain. Moreover, the fireworks that set off during the opening of the concert set fire to some props, but were quickly extinguished by firefighters.
Debunking fake news
Max Korzh’s concert also caught the attention of elements associated with the far-right sovereignist bloc in Romania. Claudiu Târziu, former leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, now head of the Conservative Action Party, said in a post on Facebook that Korzh is “known for scandals, violence, and aggressive messages.” The politician also questioned why young people from two nations at war, namely Russia and Ukraine, were allowed to travel to Romania.
Meanwhile, images and videos circulated online claiming that Korzh’s fans destroyed the National Arena stadium. The claims were debunked by the Bucharest City Hall and Romania’s Interior Ministry, which noted that the fans behaved civilly throughout the event.
“False images! The National Arena was not destroyed, as has been spread on some social media accounts. The young people present last night at the Max Korzh concert behaved civilly throughout the event. The Romanian Gendarmerie stated that the images announcing the disaster in Bucharest are not from Romania,” the City Hall noted on Facebook. There were no damages to the seats or other facilities of the stadium, according to the same source.
“The event hosted by the National Arena took place under normal conditions, without major incidents. For the safety of participants, over 5,000 colleagues from the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs acted throughout the entire duration of the activities, and public order measures were also monitored with the support of a helicopter,” the Interior Ministry said as well.
radu@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos /George Călin)
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