NEWSJustin Timberlake Under Fire for Lackluster Performance at Electric Castle Festival: 'Dude Took a Day Off'
Justin Timberlake was slammed for relying on the crowd to sing his hit songs at the Electric Castle music festival in Romania.
July 24 2025, Published 8:42 a.m. ET
Justin Timberlake is facing backlash after his performance at the Electric Castle music festival in Romania left fans wanting more.
The singer went viral on TikTok following a disappointing showing during which he relied heavily on the audience to carry his hit "Don't Stop the Feeling!" The video has amassed over 1.5 million views, with many viewers expressing frustration at Timberlake's lack of engagement.
Justin Timberlake was called 'an absolute disappointment' by a Romanian festivalgoer.
"Dude took a day off on stage," one TikTok user remarked after reposting the video that captured the lackluster performance.
Filmed in the rain, the footage shows Timberlake donning his jacket hood as he begins the song's opening line before gesturing for the audience to continue. Throughout the minute-long clip, he mostly directs the crowd and moves his hands and feet to the music.
A viral video showed Justin Timberlake gesturing as fans sang ‘Don’t Stop the Feeling!’
Timberlake headlined the festival last week — his first performance ever in Romania. However, one fan called the show "an absolute disappointment," criticizing his late arrival and for "singing like five words" during each song. Her scathing review gained traction with 5.6 million views.
"You come to my country, I pay a lot of money, it's pouring rain," the fan described in her clip. "I've been waiting for you all day to come up on stage. You were late, first of all."
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Aside from Timberlake, acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, Shaggy, Rudimental, YUNGBLUD, Artemas, Bicep and more performed in the festival, held from July 16 to July 20 at the Bánffy Castle in Romania.
Fans expressed disappointment, noting they found it disrespectful for the singer to delegate much of the performance to the audience. Some shared similar negative experiences from Timberlake's recent shows across Europe.
One TikTok user said the singer ‘took a day off.'
"I just wanna add that we saw him in Estonia and it was a disappointment for us, too," one user commented.
Another TikTok user shared a clip from Timberlake's performance at Lollapalooza Paris, dubbing him "Justin 'I didn't know I was supposed to sing at a concert' Timberlake." That video also saw viral success, receiving 1.9 million views and showcasing the artist's tendency to ask fans to sing "Cry Me a River."
During his performance at the Lytham Festival in England, Timberlake was also caught screaming at his employees after his sound was allegedly cut in the middle of his set.
Other social media users also called out Justin Timberlake for similar performances in the last few weeks.
As reported by OK!, the "Suit and Tie" singer used what appeared to be aggressive hand gestures to help get his point of frustration.
Timberlake is wrapping up the final leg of his world tour, which began last year in support of his latest album Everything I Thought I Was. The tour concludes in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 30.
