Brighton & Hove City Council: drop Shen Yun at the Brighton Centre
El problema
The Shen Yun dance company, which is booked for 4 shows at the Brighton Centre from 3-5 January 2027, is currently being sued in the United States over multiple allegations of human trafficking and forced labour. On 18 August 2026, US District Judge Philip M. Halpern overwhelmingly denied motions to dismiss from Shen Yun Performing Arts and the other defendants in the case, allowing claims to proceed to discovery.
Shen Yun is affiliated with the Falun Gong religious organisation which is overtly homophobic, supports racial segregation and donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's election campaigns as well as supporting his 2020 campaign with extensive social media advertising through front groups. Falun Gong, through its media empire including the Epoch Times in multiple language editions, has also notably supported and promoted far right and racist politics in European countries including the UK and Germany. The Epoch Times promotes the Great Replacement conspiracy theory and advocates for war against China.
Brighton & Hove is a proudly inclusive City of Sanctuary. Allowing Falun Gong to use the Brighton Centre is out of line with the aims and objectives in the council's Venue Hire Policy, which states events should "bring communities together and contribute to the promotion of a vibrant multi-cultural community". In addition, in light of current legal proceedings in the US, allowing the Shen Yun performances to continue represents a failure to do due diligence with regard to the council's Modern Slavery Statement. Shen Yun performers have alleged being subjected to 13-16 hour days of intensive training with little to no pay, and physical punishment, as well as being isolated from family.
Shen Yun is not only a dance show but an initiative by Falun Gong since 2006 to promote itself to the upper classes and cultural elites (as described by Falun Gong "master" Li Hongzhi in 2017) in Western countries, as part of its media empire which also includes the Epoch Times and various digital outlets. It has no place in our city.
We call on Brighton & Hove City Council to cancel the January dates and to ban future Shen Yun shows from the Brighton Centre.
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El problema
The Shen Yun dance company, which is booked for 4 shows at the Brighton Centre from 3-5 January 2027, is currently being sued in the United States over multiple allegations of human trafficking and forced labour. On 18 August 2026, US District Judge Philip M. Halpern overwhelmingly denied motions to dismiss from Shen Yun Performing Arts and the other defendants in the case, allowing claims to proceed to discovery.
Shen Yun is affiliated with the Falun Gong religious organisation which is overtly homophobic, supports racial segregation and donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's election campaigns as well as supporting his 2020 campaign with extensive social media advertising through front groups. Falun Gong, through its media empire including the Epoch Times in multiple language editions, has also notably supported and promoted far right and racist politics in European countries including the UK and Germany. The Epoch Times promotes the Great Replacement conspiracy theory and advocates for war against China.
Brighton & Hove is a proudly inclusive City of Sanctuary. Allowing Falun Gong to use the Brighton Centre is out of line with the aims and objectives in the council's Venue Hire Policy, which states events should "bring communities together and contribute to the promotion of a vibrant multi-cultural community". In addition, in light of current legal proceedings in the US, allowing the Shen Yun performances to continue represents a failure to do due diligence with regard to the council's Modern Slavery Statement. Shen Yun performers have alleged being subjected to 13-16 hour days of intensive training with little to no pay, and physical punishment, as well as being isolated from family.
Shen Yun is not only a dance show but an initiative by Falun Gong since 2006 to promote itself to the upper classes and cultural elites (as described by Falun Gong "master" Li Hongzhi in 2017) in Western countries, as part of its media empire which also includes the Epoch Times and various digital outlets. It has no place in our city.
We call on Brighton & Hove City Council to cancel the January dates and to ban future Shen Yun shows from the Brighton Centre.
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Petición creada en 8 de octubre de 2026