Entertainment · Music · 6 hrs ago
Mashina Vremeni concert in Riga delayed amid drone threat
Andrey Makarevich, leader of Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni, performed in Riga, Latvia on Sunday, October 18.
The concert was scheduled for 6 p.m.
local time.
Earlier that day, Latvian authorities warned of a possible drone threat, and NATO fighter jets were sent into the air, but no drone was found.
Some Latvian airspace remained closed until evening, while Riga airport also had technical problems.
The show started more than 90 minutes late, leaving concertgoers waiting.
The arena could hold 13,500 people, but fewer than half its seats were filled.
Audience members described the atmosphere as subdued, and Makarevich performed to partly empty stands.
A Mashina Vremeni concert in Riga on October 18 was delayed by more than an hour and a half amid reports of a drone threat in Latvia.
Latvian authorities announced a drone alert in the morning, and NATO fighter jets were sent into the air.
Some parts of Latvia’s airspace remained closed until the evening, while technical problems were reported at Riga Airport.
Audience members told SHOT that the concert took place before fewer than half the 13,500-capacity arena’s seats were filled.
- Who
- Mashina Vremeni, led by Andrei Makarevich, and concertgoers.
- What
- The Riga concert was delayed by more than an hour and a half amid a drone threat.
- When
- Sunday, October 18, 2026; it was scheduled to start at 18:00 local time.
- Where
- Riga, Latvia.
- Why
- Latvian authorities announced a drone alert, some airspace remained closed, and technical problems were reported at Riga Airport.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Latvian authorities announced a drone alert, and NATO fighter jets were sent into the air.
The Mashina Vremeni concert in Riga was scheduled to begin.
The concert began after a delay, according to accounts from audience members reported by SHOT.
- Concert date
- October 18, 2026
- Scheduled start
- 18:00 local time
- Delay
- More than 1.5 hours
- Venue capacity
- 13,500
- Attendance
- Fewer than half the arena’s capacity, according to audience accounts reported by SHOT
- Location
- Riga, Latvia