SPECIAL Informat.ro / Who is Max Korzh, the rapper from Belarus who ignites spirits in Bucharest

A Belarusian singer, almost unknown to the Romanian public, brings over 42,000 spectators to the National Arena, of which approximately 39,000 come from abroad. Maksim Anatolievich Korzh, known on stage as Max Korzh, will hold a sold-out concert on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the largest stadium in Bucharest, after tickets sold out in just five days. The event has generated a massive influx of fans from Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and Germany, prompting Romanian authorities to take unprecedented security measures.

Who is Max Korzh

Max Korzh is a 37-year-old Belarusian rapper, singer, composer, and director, born on November 23, 1988, in Luninets. At a young age, he moved to Minsk, where his parents enrolled him in a music school. By 16, he was already singing in a band, and he released his first solo song at the age of 18. The artist has seven studio albums in his discography and numerous songs that have become hits in the post-Soviet space. Korzh predominantly sings in Russian about friendship, love, mistakes, hopes, and finding one's own identity, according to Antena 3. His music blends elements of hip-hop with pop and rock influences, creating a distinctive style that resonates strongly with audiences in Eastern Europe.

Max Korzh's international popularity

Max Korzh represents one of the biggest names in hip-hop in Eastern Europe. In recent years, the artist has held concerts in Warsaw, Kyiv, Minsk, Moscow, and Odesa, where he sang about the values he believes in. The concert in Bucharest is his first performance in Romania.

Tickets for the concert at the National Arena were priced between 290 and 520 lei, and the event became sold out in record time. According to some sources, the organizers claim that this represents a record for a solo artist at a stadium in Bucharest, although this statement is not officially confirmed.

Anti-war stance and exile from Belarus

Max Korzh cannot perform in Russia due to his anti-war stance. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the artist released the song "My House" ("Casa Mea"), which contained the lyrics: "He who defends his house is right." On March 20, 2024, two years after the start of the war, Korzh presented the song "Cold Morning" ("Dimineața Rece"), continuing to convey messages of peace.

The artist has not been able to hold concerts in Belarus after being placed on a blacklist. In October 2024, Max Korzh permanently left Belarus after being summoned by the police for a "political conversation." Pro-government Belarusian Telegram channels reported that the reason for the summons was that "Korzh jumps with the white-red-white flag at concerts abroad and supports Ukrainian terrorists."

Due to his stance, the artist has entered the Kremlin's blacklist and cannot perform in Russia, despite his huge popularity there.

The violent scandal in Warsaw

In August 2025, Max Korzh held a concert at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, in front of 60,000 spectators, an event that ended in a major scandal. Polish police detained 109 people for various offenses, including drug possession, assaults against security personnel, possession of pyrotechnic materials, and illegal entry into the venue. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the initiation of deportation procedures against 63 individuals, of whom 57 were Ukrainian citizens and 6 were Belarusian.

The most controversial moment was the appearance of a red-black flag in the crowd, the symbol of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which carries extremely negative connotations in Poland related to the Volhynia massacres during World War II. A Polish deputy announced that he would file a complaint with the prosecutor's office for "displaying prohibited symbols" and "promoting totalitarian ideologies and inciting hatred based on nationality," although the red-black flag is not officially banned in Poland.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Poland reacted to the incident by stating: "I do not understand why Ukrainians went to that stadium. The concert was in Russian, and those who speak this language are now killing Ukrainians." He emphasized that Ukrainians must respect Polish laws and that such actions harm bilateral relations.

The incident in Bucharest's Old Town

On Friday, May 22, 2026, around 03:00, a violent conflict broke out in the Old Town of the Capital, on Covaci Street, between several Romanian and Ukrainian citizens. The incident occurred just one day before Max Korzh's concert at the National Arena.

According to the Capital Police, the gendarmes in the area alerted the authorities about a conflict between several individuals. "At the scene, gendarmes found that two groups of people were pushing and assaulting each other. Following a prompt intervention, the conflict was defused, preventing an escalation of violence," the authorities reported.

Investigations revealed that several individuals were involved in the incident, both foreign citizens aged between 17 and 51 and Romanian citizens aged between 33 and 52. A 51-year-old Ukrainian citizen required medical attention and was transported to the University Hospital.

According to judicial sources, the Ukrainian citizens are fans who came to Romania for Max Korzh's concert, while the Romanians are members of the Gremium motorcycle group. A criminal case was opened for disturbing public order and peace and for assault or other violence.

Unprecedented security measures

According to sources cited by Observator and CANCAN.RO, the area around the National Arena is to be monitored by approximately 10,000 police officers, gendarmes, and agents from security structures, including teams in civilian clothes. These sources claim that the scale of the measures would exceed almost any precedent in recent decades for an entertainment event organized in Romania.

In comparison, the Metallica concert at the National Arena, which had approximately 65,000 attendees, was managed with about 700 gendarmes, according to CANCAN.RO.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs officially announced that it has increased the number of gendarmes on the ground, and there will be mounted police and specialized dogs for detecting explosives and prohibited substances on the streets. Over 400 ISU firefighters will be present on the ground in a 24-hour shift, with teams of doctors, paramedics, and firefighters, first aid teams, SMURD ambulances, and fire trucks.

Intensive border controls

The Romanian Border Police has also reportedly intensified verification and control measures at border crossing points throughout the country, especially in Suceava, Galați, Bihor, and at the Albița Customs. These actions aim primarily to protect participants, prevent any incidents, and maintain an optimal climate of safety and public order upon entry into the country.

Hundreds of young people from Ukraine and Moldova have crossed the border points in recent days, heading to Bucharest as their final destination. Border police are conducting a large information campaign aimed at individuals traveling to Bucharest, distributing informative flyers with practical recommendations and informing them about the legal obligations for entering Romania.

In the context of these intensive checks, a Polish citizen and one from Belarus were found by border police at Borș with substances suspected to be narcotics and hallucinogens. The two stated that they were heading, along with friends, to Max Korzh's concert at the National Arena.

Traffic restrictions and public transport

For Saturday, May 23, 2026, starting at 15:00, road traffic will be restricted on Pierre de Coubertin Boulevard and on Basarabia Boulevard (the section between Bd. Chișinău and Str. Câmpia Libertății).

STB lines with numbers 85, 90, 104, 143, 640, and N109 will operate on temporarily diverted routes. To facilitate the flow of spectators, at the request of the organizers, the Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport Bucharest – Ilfov (TPBI) has decided to extend the operating hours of lines 1, 10, 85, 90, and 104.

A controversial cultural phenomenon

Max Korzh's concert demonstrates the power of post-Soviet culture and the Russian language as a unifying factor for millions of young people in this region, regardless of the political tensions between their countries. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that "the uniqueness of this event lies in the fact that the participating audience is from over 50 countries".

However, the event raises questions about security and the potential for conflict in an extremely tense geopolitical context. The lessons from Warsaw – where violence, drugs, and controversial symbols led to dozens of deportations – have prompted Romanian authorities to adopt measures of unprecedented scale.

At the concert in Warsaw, Max Korzh made public appeals for peace in Ukraine and for good relations between nations, but the atmosphere in the crowd degenerated into violence and political scandal. It remains to be seen whether the concert in Bucharest will take place without major incidents or if it will repeat the scenario from Warsaw.

For many fans, the concert represents a rare opportunity to see their favorite artist at a time when he cannot perform in his home country or in Russia, where he has a huge audience. For Romanian authorities, the event represents a major test of their capacity to manage an international event with a high potential for security risk.

*****Synthesis created with the help of a data monitoring flow provided by the media monitoring platform NewsVibe Romania. The analysis, data, and images presented have been enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.