Warfaze’s 40-year celebration hits pause amid concert chaos
Bangladesh’s legendary rock band Warfaze has stepped back from its much-anticipated 40th anniversary concert tour at home, delivering yet another blow to live music fans amid a wave of continuous concert postponements across the country.
The band, which had planned a year-long celebration of four decades of music, confirmed that its nationwide tour in Bangladesh and a grand gala concert scheduled for January have been postponed indefinitely due to the country’s prevailing situation and mounting practical complications.
Warfaze had unveiled its ambitious ‘Forty Years Legacy Concert Tour’ in 2024, marking a milestone in Bangladeshi rock history. While the tour was successfully staged in the United States, Australia and Canada, fans at home were eagerly waiting for what was billed as a historic nationwide tour and a massive anniversary show in Dhaka.
According to a statement from the band, talks with several local event management companies had reached an advanced stage, sponsors had shown positive interest, and discussions were underway with fellow artists to join the gala concert. However, the plans ultimately fell victim to the same uncertainty that has plagued Bangladesh’s live entertainment scene for months.
Citing an unfavourable overall situation, difficulties in securing necessary permissions, the risk of last-minute postponements or cancellations, and the possibility of significant financial losses for artists and organisers, Warfaze said it had no choice but to put the tour on hold.
The decision comes against the backdrop of repeated concert cancellations and postponements in Bangladesh, where major live shows have increasingly been delayed or scrapped due to security concerns, administrative hurdles, and sudden changes in approvals. This ongoing instability has left fans frustrated and organisers wary, turning what should have been a golden period for live music into one marked by uncertainty and disappointment.
In their statement, Warfaze expressed hope that the situation would stabilise by the end of next year, allowing them to revisit the idea of a new tour. The band also offered a heartfelt apology to fans for being unable to bring the anniversary celebrations to Bangladeshi stages for now.
Formed in the early 1980s, Warfaze remains one of the most influential bands in the country, with iconic tracks such as “Abak Bhalobasha,” “Bose Achhi Eka,” “Jibandhara,” “Asamajik,” “Purnata” and “Maunta” still resonating across generations.
For now, the curtain falls on what could have been a historic homecoming tour – another reminder that in Bangladesh’s live music scene, even legends are not immune to the era of endless postponements.
The postponement of Warfaze’s anniversary tour comes amid a growing wave of high-profile concert cancellations in Dhaka, raising serious questions about the future of live music in Bangladesh.
Most notably, Pakistani superstar Atif Aslam canceled his scheduled December 13, 2025 concert in Dhaka after organizers failed to secure local permits, security clearances and ensure logistical readiness. The decision sparked widespread disappointment among fans and became a symbol of the broader crisis facing large-scale concerts in the capital.
The disruption has not been limited to foreign artists. The international “Sound of Soul” concert by popular band Jaal, scheduled to be held at Swadesh Arena, was also postponed due to the inability to obtain necessary permissions. Earlier, the much-hyped “Legends Live in Dhaka” concert featuring Ali Azmat and Nagar Baul James was first postponed and eventually canceled altogether.
Several solo and band concerts by Nagar Baul James and Warfaze frontman James have also faced repeated postponements in recent months, further deepening frustration among music lovers.
Industry insiders point to a combination of factors driving the wave of postponements, including prolonged delays in government permits, heightened security requirements, logistical challenges related to venue readiness and crowd management, and uncertainty stemming from the country’s political and social climate.
As one concert after another falls off the calendar, Bangladesh’s live music scene – once vibrant and booming – appears increasingly trapped in a cycle of anticipation and abrupt disappointment, with fans left wondering when stages across the country will finally come alive again.