World Cup: Dua Lipa addresses “speculation” over performance in Qatar
Dua Lipa criticised the Qatari government about human rights violations after rumours she would perform at the World Cup opening ceremony.
In an interview with Variety, she described the tournament as a “unique opportunity to hold Qatar to account,” regarding its human rights record.
The singer referenced the rumours that she would perform in the course of the competition: “I didn’t like being amongst speculation that I was going to perform for something that really goes against my beliefs.” The 27-year-old spoke out against the failure of Qatar to meet the promises they made about human rights when they were announced as host. “They made pledges on human rights when they signed the deal for the World Cup that have not been satisfactorily met on migrant workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and freedom of expression — what kind of message does it send if these pledges mean nothing?” she said.
Human rights have been a controversial topic throughout the tournament. In the host country, homosexuality is criminalised and punishments can be as severe as the death penalty.
