Arunachal artiste Rito Riba cancels Mising Youth Festival show over alleged humiliation by organisers

Singer-songwriter Rito Riba on Friday cancelled his scheduled performance at the Mising Youth Festival 2026 at Kareng Sapori near Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, alleging unprofessional conduct and humiliating treatment by the event’s organising team. The cancellation on January 30 marked the first time the artiste has had to cancel a show.

In a statement issued through an Instagram carousel, Riba said he and his band travelled nearly 12 hours for the event and requested “just one hour for our band’s sound check”, which he described as “always a top priority for any performance”. Instead, the team was made to wait at the venue from 10 am until 2 am the following day without a proper green room or basic arrangements.

Riba alleged that members of the organising team made degrading remarks and openly deprioritised the performance in favour of dignitaries. Among the comments cited were, “Humein farak nahi padta woh gaaye ya nahi” (it does not matter to us whether he sings or not) and “Humein sirf dignitaries chahiye” (we only want dignitaries). Another remark suggested the singer could be sent to “a local stall to drink”, and that he could perform only after dignitaries had left, even if the sound check had to be done later.

“These statements clearly demonstrate a complete lack of respect for artists, their profession, and their creative work,” Riba said, adding that such conduct was unprecedented in his career. He described the experience as particularly painful as it came from “people we consider our own, our extended clan”.

Announcing the cancellation, Riba said the decision was taken to protect his team’s “dignity and self-respect”, despite having prepared special performances for the day. “Artists deserve respect and professionalism,” he said.

The singer apologised to fans and well-wishers and announced that all performance fees would be returned, excluding travel and band expenses, while adding, “I will not take any personal fee after the humiliation faced.” He said organisers could contact his management team for any fee-related clarifications.

Riba, who later gained national recognition through Indian Idol, said the incident underlines the need for basic professional standards and respectful treatment of artists at cultural events.