In a statement posted on the official Web site, concert organizers at the Milarepa Fund said they will “take this time to continue our political work and to transfer the energy generated in the planning of the London event to an alternative event to be announced at a later date.”

Artists confirmed for the event were Pulp, Morcheeba, Joe Strummer, and event founders the Beastie Boys. The concert would have marked the first live Beasties performance in more than two years.

Launched in 1996 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the Tibetan Freedom Concert unites artists from all musical genres to raise support for the Milarepa Fund, an organization that supports the Tibetan people’s struggle to regain their freedom.

Over the years, diverse artists including U2, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Pavement, Cibo Matto, Biz Markie, John Lee Hooker, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Bjork, Tracy Chapman, The Roots, De La Soul, Radiohead, and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals have shown their support by performing at the huge benefit shows.

Tokyo hosted a scaled-back version of the Tibetan Freedom Concert in May, but the last full-blown even took place in 1999 when simultaneous concerts were held in Amsterdam, East Troy (near Chicago), Tokyo and Sydney.