Photo Credit: Juliana Ronderos

Matisyahu will return to Israel this April for two concerts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The genre-bending alternative reggae artist’s trip abroad follows only three months after his last flight overseas, during which the artist took the stage at Tel Aviv’s Reading 3. Booked for April 2 and 3 at Jerusalem’s Zappa Jerusalem and Tel Aviv’s Zappa in Yehoshua Gardens Park, these concerts will bring his trademark brand of thought-provoking, positive celebration to an Israeli fan base that Matisyahu has forged close bonds with through the course of his career.

This news arrives against the backdrop of a string of show cancellations across the US due to protests outside his engagements and walk-outs from venue staff. Following the most recent of these canceled shows, a March 8 performance at Chicago’s House of Blues Chicago, Matisyahu issued a response via his social media channels. The artist wrote, “While my fans and I are deeply hurt by this, please know that we will not cower to these bullies and the pressure they exert. The ramifications of such tactics go beyond me and the Jewish people. These individuals threaten the bedrock of artistic expression, intellectual honesty, and empathy between people with different views and concerns.” Matisyahu donated his payment for the cancelled show to Bring Home Now and United Hatzala of Israel.

Tickets for Matisyahu’s new Israel performances are available now. For more information on the artist’s upcoming concerts, visit matisyahuworld.com.