Neil Young has backtracked his plans for a free Ukraine concert, scuppering the gig due to the “changing situation” within the country as the reason.

Earlier this month, Young announced the forthcoming event, which was set to kick off his forthcoming European tour. Though no specific date was announced, the tour will launch on June 18th in Sweden, indicating it would’ve occurred in the lead-up to that show.

“Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the upcoming Love Earth Tour of Europe in UKRAINE with a Free Concert for all!” he wrote on his Neil Young Archives website. “We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA.”

The show was to be Young’s first in the country, and was announced just days after an incredibly-divisive meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance.

Unfortunately Young has been forced to now renege on his plans for the show, announcing the news via his website today.

“We had a good venue, close to a shelter, but the changing situation on the ground was too much,” Young explained. “I could not in good conscience take my crew and instruments into that area. My apologies to all. Ukraine is a great country with a good leader. Slava Ukraini.”

Young’s upcoming tour plans will launch in June with a run of European tour dates, before heading to the U.S. in August. Currently, there’s no word as to when he might visit Australia again, though fans are hopeful announcements might arrive when he ostensibly drops his debut album with The Chrome Hearts next month.

The recently-announced 2025 Glastonbury lineup also featured Young when it dropped earlier this month, with the musician having made headlines when he distanced himself from the event, only to later confirm that “an error in the information received” led to him calling it “a corporate turn - off”, and that he would indeed appear on the lineup.

Young appears as the Saturday headliner, appearing alongside names such as Charli XCX, Raye, Doechii, and Amyl And The Sniffers.