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Keli Holiday Says He Was Denied U.S. Re-Entry Mid-Tour, Canceling New York City Show
Keli Holiday says he was detained at the Canadian border and denied U.S. re-entry, forcing him to cancel his New York show.
Singer Keli Holiday says he was blocked from re-entering the United States while on his North American run, a setback that forced him to cancel a New York City date and head back to Australia sooner than planned.
The Australian artist, the solo project of Adam Hyde from Peking Duk, broke the news to fans over the weekend after being held at the U.S.-Canada border following shows in Toronto. “Unfortunately I’m not going to make it to tonight’s show at Baby’s All Right in NYC,” Holiday wrote on Instagram. “I have spent all day detained at the Canadian border and denied entry back into the U.S. despite having the proper visa documentation in place.”
“I’m still trying to get clarity on the situation myself,” he added.
Holiday’s North American itinerary was a short one, spanning May 1 to May 7, with Brooklyn meant to be the final stop. A representative later confirmed that he had already returned to Australia ahead of upcoming dates in New South Wales and Victoria.
The episode lands amid wider anxiety around U.S. border checks and visa scrutiny for international artists and travelers. Proposed changes connected to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, have already prompted debate in Australia and New Zealand over tougher entry rules and broader screening measures.
Hyde introduced Keli Holiday in 2021 as a more intimate, indie-leaning outlet alongside Peking Duk, the chart-dominant electronic duo he formed with Reuben Styles. That project made its name with songs like “High” featuring Nicole Millar, which cracked the top five on the ARIA Singles Chart and helped cement Peking Duk as one of Australia’s biggest electronic acts of the 2010s.
Holiday is currently the highest-charting Australian act on the latest ARIA Albums Chart with Capital Fiction, his second release, which enters at No. 3. By comparison, Peking Duk reached No. 12 with 2018’s Reprisal.
Capital Fiction includes “Dancing2,” a song that tells the story of how Hyde met his partner and love of his life, Sydney media personality Abbie Chatfield. The track landed at No. 2 in triple j’s Hottest 100 for 2025, won best video at last year’s ARIA Awards, and Holiday performed it at the top of the recording industry’s annual ceremony.
Under the Keli Holiday name, Hyde has leaned into a darker blend of indie-pop, dance, and alternative music, releasing songs like “Dancing2” while building a following through club dates and festival slots. After the New York cancellation was announced, fans quickly filled his comments with support, with many urging him to return for a rescheduled date once the visa situation is sorted.
