Festival organizers return subsidy after video of kids at burlesque show goes viral

The organizers of the Rosé Wine Festival, where a burlesque performer did her act in front of small children, have agreed to return a CZK 60,000 subsidy to the town of Třebíč. An apology was posted on social media, but the main organizer blames the person who posted the video that went viral for the negative fallout. Police are investigating the case to see if it qualifies are a crime.

The video shows burlesque performer ElektraShow kneeling in a large glass cup, removing her bra to show tassels on her breasts, and then throwing confetti while jazz music plays. The audience in front of the outdoor stage seems to be exclusively pre-teen children. The festival took place on June 17 on the grounds of the Třebíč chateau in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic.

"We want to apologize to everyone who came to Saturday's ninth Annual Rosé Wine Festival and left bitter about the program, specifically the burlesque performance. We understand the reactions of parents, who were at the festival together with their children, and we accept full responsibility for the mistakes that happened – such as, for example, the inappropriate timing of this performance on the program," a post on the festival’s Facebook page said.

"According to an agreement with the city, which did not participate in the program in any way, we will return the subsidy in the amount of CZK 60,000, which was provided to us for organizing the festival. We are sorry that this vintage left such a bitter aftertaste, it is a lesson for us for the next years. We will take the tenth Jubilee Rosé Wine Festival, which awaits us next year, in a more sober spirit," they added.

Event organizer Aleš Mejzlík told CNN Prima News that the town had asked for an apology. He added that he now considers the case closed, but is unhappy about the scandal caused by the public posting of the video. "I sense that the lady who put it there might apologize. What all the media started was completely unnecessary," Mejzlík said.

But the case might just be starting. The police will announce in the coming days whether the incident was a misdemeanor or a crime. The parents who allowed their children to watch the adult-oriented performance could bear some of the blame.

Performer ElektraShow claims said the whole incident could have been avoided if the parents paid attention. "The moment I went on stage, I heard the presenter warn the audience that the performance was not really suitable for children," she said, according to news site Lidovky.cz.

The performer was aware of the children but felt pressured into continuing with her act. She told news server Echo24 that parents ignored the warning to remove the children. “The whole situation was very uncomfortable for me and I was under the pressure of circumstances, such as a penalty in the contract for a canceled performance, and it was about maintaining professionalism and doing the work for which I was paid,” ElektraShow said.

She added that before signing the performance contract, she provided the organizer with an accurate description of the show and a video recording of the performance, stating that it was not suitable for children. She was assured that the children would be in a separate space. "Knowing that it is an event for adults where alcohol is consumed, I really did not expect such a large participation of children," ElektraShow said.