The concert of the Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila in Byblos is cancelled following widespread uproar over alleged religious and sexual innuendos in the band’s lyrics and videos’ content.

The Byblos International Festival Committee issued a statement on Tuesday explaining that it succumbed to the pressure of political figures and Christian groups.

“In an unprecedented move and due to successive developments, the committee was forced to cancel Mashrou' Leila’s concert scheduled for Friday, August 9, 2019 to prevent bloodshed and to maintain security and stability,” the statement wrote.

“We regret what happened and we apologize to our audience,” it added.

Controversy was sparked after the band’s lead singer Hamed Sinno shared an article on Facebook containing an image in which the Virgin Mary’s face had been replaced by that of American pop star Madonna.