Palestinian singer Saint Levant postpones North American tour over US visa issues

Palestinian singer and songwriter Saint Levant announced Tuesday that he has postponed his North American tour until spring 2027 due to ongoing issues with his US visa.

“I am unfortunately announcing the postponement of my North American tour,” Saint Levant said in a statement on social media.

The artist, whose real name is Marwan Abdelhamid, said he has faced “major US visa issues” for several years. He said that although his visa application was initially approved, he was “unexpectedly asked to undergo additional background checks, which could take a number of months.”

“After discussions with my legal team, and speaking with some of my Palestinian and Arab peers who have gone through similar experiences,” he said, he and his team made the “difficult decision” to postpone the North American concerts until spring 2027 in the hope that the visa process would be completed by then.

Born in Jerusalem, Saint Levant was raised in the Gaza Strip before moving with his family to Amman, Jordan, at the age of 7.

He has gained international attention for music blending Arabic, English and French with hip-hop, R&B and electronic influences, while drawing on themes of Palestinian identity, heritage and displacement.

Saint Levant is scheduled to perform at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena on Dec. 10 as part of his international “Afandi World Tour.”