Place des Arts says Shen Yun won’t return in 2026, citing an internal business decision and recent concerns about the show’s producer. (Credit: Places des Arts)

The controversial Shen Yun dance show will not return to Place des Arts next year.

In a statement, Géraldine Zaccardelli, spokesperson for the performing arts complex, said producers were informed that no rental option would be confirmed for 2026 due to an internal business decision.

“As a result, Shen Yun was not scheduled as part of our programming and therefore was not cancelled,” Zaccardelli said.

The annual show, which highlights ancient China before the arrival of communism, had been featured at Place des Arts since 2007.

The show is produced by Shen Yun Performing Arts, a non-profit organization based in New York and established in 2006.

Shen Yun performances are banned in China.

The dance company is closely associated with Falun Gong, a spiritual movement founded in the early 1990s. China banned the movement in 1999 and classified it as a cult.

According to the company, many of Shen Yun’s artists practise Falun Gong.

Last year, The New York Times published articles criticizing Shen Yun’s treatment of artists and reporting that the organization had received tens of millions of dollars in ways that may have crossed legal or ethical lines.

“Place des Arts cannot ignore the events that have occurred and been made public regarding the producer of this show, but it was a combination of factors that led us to terminate this business relationship,” Zaccardelli added.

But the president of the Falun Dafa Association of Montréal, the presenter hosting Shen Yun in the city, said they believe the New York Times article played a part in the show’s cancellation.

Jin Cheng Zhi said the community has been targeted by “transnational repression.”

“This outcome is deeply regrettable, as it inadvertently enables the [Chinese Communist Party]’s agenda, emboldens it to intensify its [transnational repression] and undermines Canada’s commitment to free expression and community safety, and deprives Montrealers of a high-quality performance that promotes hope, human rights, and freedom,” Cheng Zhi said in an email.

Zaccardelli noted that security measures were heightened at Place des Arts during Shen Yun’s performances last spring as a preventative measure put in place by the performing arts complex.

She said no incidents were reported to Place des Arts.