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Keli Holiday Says He Was Denied U.S. Re-Entry Mid-Tour, Cancels New York Show
Keli Holiday says he was denied U.S. re-entry during his North American tour, canceling his New York show and returning to Australia.
Australian artist Keli Holiday says he was detained at the Canadian border and denied re-entry into the United States, forcing him to cancel a scheduled New York City show and cut short his North American run.
“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,” Holiday wrote on Instagram over the weekend. He added, “I’m still trying to get clarity on the situation myself.”
Holiday, the solo project of Adam Hyde from Peking Duk, had just played dates in Toronto before the border issue arose. The Brooklyn performance at Baby’s All Right was due to close out a short tour scheduled from May 1 to May 7.
A representative later confirmed that Holiday had returned to Australia and would move on to upcoming dates in New South Wales and Victoria.
The disruption lands amid wider scrutiny around U.S. border processing and visa checks for international travelers and touring acts. Proposed changes tied to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, have also sparked discussion in Australia and New Zealand over tighter entry requirements and broader screening.
Hyde launched Keli Holiday in 2021 as a more personal, indie-leaning outlet alongside Peking Duk, the electronic duo he formed with Reuben Styles. Peking Duk broke through with “High” featuring Nicole Millar, which reached the top five on the ARIA Singles Chart and helped make the act one of Australia’s biggest electronic exports of the 2010s.
Holiday is currently the highest-charting Australian artist on the latest ARIA Albums Chart with Capital Fiction, his second release, which debuts at No. 3. Hyde previously reached No. 12 on the chart with Peking Duk’s 2018 album Reprisal.
Capital Fiction includes “Dancing2,” a track that tells the story of how Hyde met his partner, Sydney media personality Abbie Chatfield. The single placed at No. 2 on triple j’s Hottest 100 for 2025, won best video at last year’s ARIA Awards, and Holiday performed it at the opening of the recording industry’s annual ceremony.
Under the Keli Holiday name, Hyde has leaned toward a darker blend of indie-pop, dance and alternative music, with “Dancing2” among the songs that helped build an audience through club and festival sets.
Fans responded to the canceled New York date with messages of support, with many urging Holiday to return once the visa issue is resolved.
