Shen Yun Concludes 52-Show UK Tour, Local Officials Voice Support

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March 30, 2026 | By Minghui correspondents in the UK

(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its 2026 UK tour on March 26 in Swansea. Since January 2, the company performed a total of 52 shows in 12 UK cities, all to packed houses.

Mayor of Swansea Presents Certificate of Appreciation

Cheryl Philpott, Lord Mayor of Swansea, and her husband presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Shen Yun artists at the Swansea Building Society Arena on March 25.

Certificate of Appreciation from Mayor Cheryl Philpott of Swansea

Cheryl Philpott saw Shen Yun in Swansea on March 25.

“It blew me away. Absolutely blew me away,” said Lord Mayor Cheryl Philpott after seeing the performance. “The dancers, they’re so graceful. Their feet were like feathers on the floor.

“We know that China has a very rich culture and history,” Ms. Philpott said. “I think the fact that you were bringing back that rich culture and history through the medium of song and dance is wonderful. And the stories about kindness and all of the philosophies, and the ending. And, obviously, there is that feeling of yes, there is something bigger out there, isn’t there?”

“Kindness overcomes everything, doesn’t it? Kindness and humility overcome everything. If you can all show this to the world, then the world would be a much better place. And your story portrays that, doesn’t it? It portrays it so well,” she added.

“If everybody could get on, and everybody could be kind, then we will all end up in a much better place,” she said.

Mayor of Bournemouth Sends Appreciation Letter After Performance

This season, Shen Yun’s UK tour covered England, Scotland, and Wales. Multiple mayors were in attendance, including: Oxford Lord Mayor Louise Upton, former Harrow Mayor Ramji Chauhan, Bournemouth Mayor Jackie Edwards, Llandudno Mayor Antony Bertola, former Llandudno Mayor Carol Marubbi, Stoke-on-Trent Lord Mayor Steve Watkins, and High Wycombe Mayor Majid Hussain.

Mayor of Bournemouth Jackie Edwards saw Shen Yun on January 29 and described the performance as “a very, very enjoyable show.” On March 23, she sent a letter to again express her enjoyment of the performance.

Letter from Jackie Edwards, Mayor of Bournemouth

Mayor Edwards wrote in the letter, “I had heard about this show, and it lived up to its name. … I would thoroughly recommend the show Shen Yun to anybody who loves history, Chinese culture, stunning costumes and amazing dances.”

Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Voices Support Amid Threats

Threats of violence targeted Shen Yun since the beginning of its UK tour. The theaters in all twelve cities that hosted Shen Yun received similar emails with bomb threats. The threats appeared to originate from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operatives and were attempts to sow disinformation and stop the performances.

In Oxford, Shen Yun’s second stop in the UK, one email received by the hosting theater claimed to come from an “independent researcher” on Asian Culture and Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong). The message claimed to provide a risk assessment and contained disinformation and threatening statements, such as, “The Chinese government regards hosting Shen Yun performances as a hostilepolitical act.”

After a number of threats were received by the theaters, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office sent a letter to the UK Falun Dafa Association, the host of Shen Yun performances, on January 23.

Letter from Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office