Marilyn Manson gig cancelled after protests

The first UK concert of rock star Marilyn Manson's tour has been cancelled after pressure from campaigners and an MP.

The first leg of his One Assassination Under God Tour had been set to kick off at Brighton Centre on 29 October.

On Saturday, fans who went online to contact Ticketmaster received a message saying "this event has been cancelled".

In January, prosecutors in the US said they would not file charges against Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, after a long-running investigation into allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence. The singer has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the allegations were too old under the law and the evidence not sufficient to charge the 56-year-old.

LA County sheriff's detectives had said early in 2021 that they were investigating Manson over alleged incidents between 2009 and 2011 in West Hollywood.

Earlier this month in an open letter to the Brighton and Hove City Council, Sian Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, called for the October concert to be cancelled.

In the letter, which was co-signed by some victim support groups and the University of Sussex students' union, she wrote: "Many survivors in Brighton and Hove, and organisations supporting them, will have serious concerns about this booking and its wider impact on other people visiting the city centre, local residents and the wider community."

The letter, which was posted online, prompted a flood of responses from the public pointing out that Manson had not been found guilty of allegations against him and that a four-year investigation did not lead to charges.

Others branded the call to cancel the gig as censorship.

The message on Saturday from Ticketmaster read: "Ticket sales have stopped but there may be tickets available for other dates."

Five other UK gigs in October and November are still listed on ticketing websites.

Additional reporting by PA Media.