“Rendezvous” Might Take Place in a Half-Empty Hall — Alla Pugacheva, the Festival’s Main Guest, Is Not Planning to Go to Latvia. Fans Are Already Wondering If This Will Mark the End of Her Longtime Friendship with Vaikule.

Every summer in Jurmala, the “Rendezvous” festival is held, which has always been associated with its hostess — Laima Vaikule. One of the most anticipated guests at this musical celebration has always been Alla Pugacheva.

The prima donna not only regularly attended the event but essentially became its unofficial symbol. However, this year her appearance on the Latvian coast of the Baltic is in doubt — and according to sources, the reason isn’t a busy schedule or health issues, but rather a political gesture in defense of her daughter, Kristina Orbakaite.

It was recently revealed that the singer was banned from entering Latvia. The authorities explained the decision by citing a “threat to national security.” Such wording has become common in today’s climate, but in this case, it affected not just the artist herself, but her family as well.

Alla Borisovna has not commented on the situation publicly, but according to reports, she canceled her trip to Latvia. Many saw this step as a form of protest and motherly solidarity. Sources close to the family say that Pugacheva harbored resentment not only toward the country’s authorities but also toward her friend — Vaikule, who chose not to speak publicly about the scandal.

The “Rendezvous” festival has always attracted large audiences and stars thanks to the special atmosphere created by Laima and her friends. But it was Alla Borisovna’s presence that made these concerts especially high-profile. In 2024, her visit caused a media frenzy.

Now, the Latvian press is actively circulating rumors that Pugacheva’s absence might lead to the festival’s failure. According to insiders, ticket sales are going extremely poorly, and organizers are already considering giving out invitations to avoid empty seats.

Concert director Sergey Lavrov openly told News.ru: “I hope Pugacheva will be wise and ignore Vaikule’s festival this time — Vaikule is using her for publicity — and after this story, forget about this country forever.” He believes such a stance by the prima donna would not only be understandable but also logical.

The situation with Orbakaite’s entry ban was also commented on by music critic Artemy Troitsky\*. In his opinion, the Latvian authorities made a mistake, as they failed to consider that Orbakaite is, first and foremost, not an independent artist, but the daughter of Alla Pugacheva, who has been closely connected to Latvia for many years.

Troitsky reminded readers that the prima donna began traveling to Jurmala as far back as the late 1970s, where she not only vacationed but also received medical treatment. He noted that the singer had planned to visit Latvia again this summer to attend her friend’s festival.

However, he now believes the chances of that happening are nearly zero — the visit is most likely canceled. The critic added that while this may not be a tragedy for Latvia, the incident itself looks quite unpleasant. He emphasized that the authorities’ actions regarding Kristina were hasty and unjustified.

At the same time, Troitsky stated that the ban would not seriously affect Orbakaite’s life or career — she can still perform in other European countries and in the United States. In his view, although the situation is unfortunate, it does not pose a threat to the artist’s livelihood.

Kristina herself has already reacted to the ban. She harshly criticized the Baltic authorities’ decision and made it clear she has no intention of backing down: “I do not intend to give up and will fight for my right to perform for my audience through legal channels.”

Kristina is currently touring Europe and performed in Vilnius on May 31. On the same day, she met with her father, Mikolas Orbakas. This became a symbolic event — the singer had not visited her father in a long time and even missed his birthday.

It’s important to understand that the success of the “Rendezvous” festival largely hinges on Alla Pugacheva’s participation. Fans don’t just buy tickets for the show — they hope to see the prima donna, even if not on stage, at least in the audience. In 2024, her visit was a major event — not only was her presence widely discussed, but also her appearance after cosmetic surgery.