Vasilis Papakonstantinou asks concertgoers to extinguish flares in Heraklion

During a concert in Heraklion, Crete, on the evening of Thursday, July 30, 2026, Greek singer Vasilis Papakonstantinou interrupted his performance to address the audience regarding the use of flares. As spectators lit the pyrotechnics, a common practice at his shows, the artist urged them to stop immediately out of respect for recent local tragedies.

Papakonstantinou specifically invoked the memory of two firefighters, 58-year-old Manolis Stratidakis and 25-year-old Pantelis Diamantakis, who recently died in the line of duty while battling a deadly fire in Rethymno. He stated that the act of lighting flares was inappropriate given that the firefighters had lost their lives while trapped in flames near the concert location. The audience responded with applause to his request, and the singer emphasized that the country is currently enduring a period of mourning.

The incident highlights the ongoing sensitivity regarding fire safety and national mourning in Greece following the severe wildfires in the region. There are no further legal actions reported, as the artist's request was directed at maintaining decorum during the performance.