Peloton has removed a Halloween workout titled "Varosha Ride" from its seasonal collection and apologized after Greek Am...

Peloton has removed a Halloween workout titled "Varosha Ride" from its seasonal collection and apologized after Greek American advocates condemned it as a mockery of one of Cyprus's most painful open wounds. The 15-minute ride, which had no instructor and was added to Peloton's 2026 Halloween collection on October 28, used Varosha as a spooky backdrop. Varosha is the fenced-off, ghost-like suburb of Famagusta whose residents were forced to flee during Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974. More than 52 years later, those families and their descendants are still barred from returning to their homes. The Hellenic American Leadership Council moved quickly to demand the class be pulled. HALC executive director Endy Zemenides put it plainly on X: "Varosha is not a haunted amusement park," adding that the abandoned homes, hotels and streets left behind by displaced families "are not Halloween props." The group launched an online petition and called on Peloton to issue a public apology and review how it selects content. HALC's statement was unambiguous: "Varosha is not a fictional ghost town or a spooky tourist attraction. It is a real community in Cyprus, whose residents were forced to flee during Turkey's 1974 invasion." The group also noted that Peloton, with its global audience, carries a responsibility not to turn the suffering of displaced families into a seasonal gimmick. Peloton complied and apologized. In a statement to Kathimerini, the company said the class was "an oversight that does not reflect our values" and pledged to strengthen its editorial review process. No government or regulator ordered the removal. The company acted after public pressure. The United Nations Security Council has twice weighed in on Varosha's status. Resolution 550 in 1984 declared any attempt to settle the district by anyone other than its original inhabitants inadmissible, and Resolution 789 followed in 1992 with the same position. The suburb remains sealed and uninhabited to this day. #Varosha #Cyprus #CyprusInvasion