Shen Yuns Sunday Toronto Show Cancelled Due to Fake Bomb Threat; Organizers Say China Is Behind It

TORONTO—The local organizers of Shen Yun Performing Arts say they are heartbroken that their March 29 performance in Toronto was cancelled due to a bogus bomb threat, which they say follows a trend of the Chinese regime targeting the show to deter people from going to see it.Shen Yun, which showcases China’s traditional culture before it was suppressed by decades of communist rule, was formed in 2006 by leading classical Chinese artists in New York, where they enjoy artistic freedom, away from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) repression.However, organizers say the show has been a target of subversion efforts by the CCP for years. Most recently, the local organizers of the show said Prime Minister Mark Carney was among six world leaders who received bomb threats if Shen Yun was allowed to perform in their countries.Shen Yun, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, started the Canadian leg of its global tour in March with performances in Hamilton, Mississauga, and Kitchener, and had its opening two shows at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on March 28. The company was set to perform another nearly sold-out show on Sunday, March 29, before the theatre cancelled the performance over the bomb threat.Toronto police say they responded to the bomb threat shortly after 1 p.m., and found the threat to be unfounded.“Officers attended, and based on the investigation, this threat appears to be unfounded,” Toronto Police spokesperson Stephanie Miceli told The Epoch Times in an email. “The investigation is ongoing at this time.”A sign posted at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on March 29, 2026, informs patrons that Shen Yun’s Sunday performance has been cancelled. The Epoch TimesJoel Chipkar, a spokesperson with the Falun Dafa Association of Toronto, the local organizer inviting Shen Yun, said the presenters were saddened over the cancellation.“It broke my heart to see so many disappointed that they would not see Shen Yun, a beautiful performance that truly reflects the values we all cherish,” Chipkar told The Epoch Times.Conservative MP Roman Baber, who had come to see the show on March 29, said he had been looking forward to the performance, and added that it’s unfortunate that audience members now won’t get a chance to enjoy Shen Yun’s presentation of classical Chinese dance and music.“I’ve been very much looking forward to today’s show, and it’s regrettable that an apparent bomb threat has derailed the ability to showcase thousands of years of Chinese culture and dance, like it was before communism,” he said.“We know that the show is under a lot of Chinese government pressure, specifically we know that they made attempts in Ottawa too and were successful at convincing the landlord in cancelling the venue.”He said such interference isn’t acceptable in Canada.“This is most atrocious, especially in the days that we’re talking about Chinese interference in Canadian democracy,” he said.Organizers say audience members who weren’t able to see the show due to the bomb threat will be given a chance to see other upcoming shows at the theatre, or to come and see Shen Yun next year.They said the theatre will also help boost security and have K-9 sweeps ahead of the five upcoming shows at the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre on April 1 and April 3–5.Conservative MP Roman Baber holds a Shen Yun program book while standing by one of the show’s hosts outside the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on March 29, 2026. The Epoch TimesFake ThreatsOrganizers note that Shen Yun was targeted with another recent fake bomb threat as it was about to perform at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre on March 15. As a result, the theatre was initially evacuated while police conducted a sweep of the building and found no threats. The show was eventually held after a 1.5-hour delay.Michael Cui, one of the Shen Yun organizers in Toronto, said it wasn’t the organizers’ decision to cancel the show on March 29 because of the threat—which they knew was a hoax like all the others—but rather it was the theatre’s decision.“Many theatres around the world, including those in Canada, have received many bomb threats,” he said, adding that today’s disruption marks the first time the show was cancelled over a hoax bomb threat right before the start of the performance.Cui said the CCP’s “evil nature” may not be well understood in Western society, and that the regime is trying to undermine and suppress the show with fake threats.“They are just threatening; they dare not take any concrete action,” he said. “We must not allow these situations to actually happen, and we should learn from these lessons in the future.”Greg Singh, one of the many audience members disappointed about the cancellation, said he was looking forward to seeing the show.“This is so unique. I’ve seen the [ads] on TV,” he said. “This is culture, this is history.” He added that attempts to disrupt the show deprive Canadians of the chance to experience an “amazing” performance like Shen Yun.“This is not right, this is very, very wrong,” he said. “There’s free speech here in Canada.”A file photo of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts hosting Shen Yun in Toronto on March 29, 2025. The Epoch TimesPersecutionAccording to Shen Yun, its artists follow the Falun Dafa spiritual discipline, which the company says is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and “incorporates meditation exercises and teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.” The practice has been persecuted by the CCP since 1999.Announcing the cancellation of the show in a statement, the Falun Dafa Association of Toronto said Shen Yun has received over 150 “fake bomb and death threats from anonymous CCP agents” over the past two years. Many of the threats were sent by email and were written in Chinese, organizers say.“Shen Yun showcases the beauty of traditional Chinese culture and the spiritual heritage of China before Communism. The show also depicts the persecution of Falun Gong — a meditation and spiritual practice rooted in ancient Chinese spirituality that teaches one to be honest, compassionate, and resilient,” the association said.“In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong because of its independence and spiritual values. Since then, millions of people who practice Falun Gong in China have faced torture, death, organ harvesting, and a massive propaganda campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to hide these crimes.”Audience members enjoy Shen Yun at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on March 28, 2026. May Huang/The Epoch TimesSuppression EffortsLast year, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau said that a multiagency investigation traced a series of threatening emails to venues in the country hosting Shen Yun to a research facility of Chinese tech giant Huawei in China’s Xi’an.The Falun Dafa Association of Canada says while all threats have proven to be “hoaxes,” they are meant to instill fear and pressure local venues to cancel Shen Yun, as well as undermine democracy in countries like Canada.“With threats now explicitly targeting national leaders and Parliament, this issue extends beyond religious freedom or artistic expression,” the association said in a past statement.The RCMP said in a previous statement to The Epoch Times that it takes threats to the security of people living in Canada “very seriously” and “wants to reassure everyone that our primary focus is the safety and protection of the public at all times.”“Should the RCMP be made aware of foreign interference in Canada, it would be within our mandate to investigate the criminal activities,” an RCMP spokesperson said.‘Absolutely Wonderful’ PerformanceThe many audience members who attended Shen Yun’s nearly sold-out shows at the Four Seasons Centre on March 28 marvelled at the performing arts company’s presentation of classical Chinese dance and music.Jonathan Waters, a technology executive and former president of a ballet company, said the Shen Yun artists are “amazing.”“It just grabs you and holds you,” he said. “It’s absolutely wonderful. We came last year, and we’re back here this year also.”Joe Tay, a singer, Hong Kong democracy activist, and former Conservative candidate, praised the dancers’ precision and dedication.“When you watch the choreography, you notice how exact everything is. The dancers land so lightly, but it’s clear how much effort and heart they’ve put into their training,” he said. “Their full engagement shows me that when people have freedom, they can release incredible potential.”Jonathan and Eva Waters enjoy Shen Yun’s performance at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on the evening of March 28, 2026. Charlie Lu/The Epoch TimesA number of MPs who presented proclamations recognizing Shen Yun’s two decades of artistry said they support the company’s mission to revive Chinese traditional culture.“[Shen Yun] has inspired audiences around the world through classical Chinese dance and music, sharing the richness of traditional culture, artistic excellence, and timeless values,” Conservative MP Costas Menegakis said in a proclamation, which he presented to Shen Yun’s hosts after seeing the show on March 28.Liberal MP Judy Sgro said in a proclamation welcoming Shen Yun to Canada that when “artists and cultural groups face increasing pressure and intimidation beyond national borders, it is especially important that we stand firmly for artistic freedom and cultural expression.”Speaking at a reception celebrating Shen Yun on March 28, Conservative MP Rhonda Kirkland said she previously lived in China for some years and saw the communist regime’s repression firsthand.“When I lived in China, I witnessed firsthand individuals expressing their beliefs and how they were treated. I saw practitioners taken away and admonished, something that stayed with me and reinforces just how important freedom of belief and expression truly is,” Kirkland said.Fellow Conservative MP Anna Roberts told Shen Yun and organizers that her party stands with them because “we believe that your rights are just as important as everyone else’s rights in the world.”