Two major concerts, a theater awards show and a book festival were pushed off Monday due to the renewed fighting with Iran, as athletes in Israel’s basketball leagues called for the cancellation of their games, which are set to be played in front of empty arenas.

The changes and cancellations across sports, arts and culture were unfolding after Iranian missile fire on Israel also led to the shuttering of schools and grounding of some flights. Iran fired multiple missile salvos at Israel on Sunday night and Monday for the first time in two months, despite a ceasefire being in effect in the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic. Israel responded with strikes on Iran, leaving open the possibility that the fighting could go on, though both sides said Monday afternoon that they would hold their fire.

Should the conflict continue, ongoing public safety restrictions from the Home Front Command could force the shutdown of LGBTQ Pride Month events as well, including Friday’s Pride Parade in Tel Aviv. The uncertainty comes a year after the first round of war between Jerusalem and Tehran also wiped out a slate of cultural events, including Pride celebrations, in June 2025.

This week, Omer Adam’s concert in Petah Tikva and Agam Buhbut’s performance in Caesarea, which the star singers had both scheduled for Monday evening, were postponed due to restrictions limiting indoor gatherings to 500 people, and outdoor events to 200. Adam is set to appear in a series of shows this week, as is A-list singer Eyal Golan.

Buhbut wrote in a message to fans that she was canceling and rescheduling the show with a “heavy heart.”

“I had........

© The Times of Israel