Atif Aslam pauses Berlin concert after fans throw mobile phones on stage

Singer Atif Aslam briefly paused his concert in Berlin, Germany, after two mobile phones landed on the stage while he was performing.

A video from the concert captured the moment, showing Aslam noticing the first phone hitting the stage. “Phone hi phenk diya unhone (They threw the phone itself),” the singer said. Seconds later a second phone landed near him. He responded, “Toot chuka hoga ab tak (It must have broken by now).”

The incident happened during Aslam’s show at Berlin’s Uber Arena on September 19. The concert was part of his Subah Aye Na Europe tour, which covers eight shows across eight countries. The tour started in Manchester on September 11 and also includes stops in Paris, Berlin, Oslo, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Milan.

This isn’t the first time Aslam has paused a performance over audience behavior. During a concert in the United States in 2023, a fan threw currency notes at him while he was singing. Aslam stopped the song, called the fan up to the stage and asked him to donate the money instead.

“My friend, you can come back and donate this money. Come, please come. I know you are very rich and I appreciate that. Please donate the money. I like the idea, but this is just disrespect to the money. Don’t throw it at me,” he had said at the time.

A different kind of interruption occurred at a concert in Dhaka in April 2024. A woman climbed onto the stage and hugged Aslam while crying. Videos from the show showed her holding onto him before she was escorted away. Aslam spoke with her, shook her hand and gave her a brief hug before continuing with his performance.

Aslam has been performing for more than two decades and holds a large following across Pakistan and India.

He first rose to fame as the lead singer of the Pakistani band Jal before launching his solo career. He later became a familiar voice in Hindi films through the 2000s and 2010s. His well known songs include “Woh Lamhe,” “Pehli Nazar Mein,” “Tu Jaane Na,” “Tera Hone Laga Hoon,” “Main Rang Sharbaton Ka,” “Jeena Jeena” and “Dil Diyan Gallan.”