Nicki Minaj fans blame venue – not her arrest – for last-minute concert cancellation | Ents & Arts News

Dutch police told Sky News that Minaj was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Saturday and eventually fined for “illegally exporting soft drugs from the Netherlands to another country.”

Nicki Minaj fans who queued to see her in Manchester only for her arrest to lead to the concert being canceled at the last minute have blamed the fiasco on the beleaguered venue.

Ticket holders queued outside the Co-op Live arena from 9am on Saturday and were allowed entry at 7pm.

Minaj, however, was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on suspicion of possession of “soft drugs” and was not released until 9 p.m., when the concert was due to begin.

Once inside, her fans, also known as Barbz, claim security staff told them she was already in the building. But at 9:40 p.m., promoter Live Nation announced the event was canceled.

Alvin Christie, 29, from Liverpool, was among those camping since Saturday morning.

He said: “I would say it was handled very poorly. When we arrived… they were actively telling fans that she had arrived and that everyone was going to dance tonight.

“For a lot of people who were asking these questions, it's obviously [keeping] people's hopes. I understand that maybe they wanted to bring people into the arena because of the health and safety risks, to prevent people from getting out.

“But I think more importantly, maybe they could have informed people as soon as they knew the show was postponed and that we would have to be turned away when we're outside the arena, rather than keep lots of people in the arena.”

Mr Christie said he did not blame Minaj and said fans wanted her to be “in the right place” for the show.

A 'die-hard Nicki fan', Charu, who also traveled from Liverpool for the concert, said the evening was 'ridiculously disappointing'.

“My sister and I have been looking forward to this for months. I'm taking my medical exams and I had been working all day and I was so looking forward to it,” they said.

“People around us were saying they came from Ireland and Scotland and paid for a night's hotel in Manchester, which isn't cheap.

“So the fact that the tickets are being refunded or are still valid for another concert doesn't really put into perspective the time and money we all spent on this evening.”

No toilets for those queuing for hours

Fan Eileen Allardyce also claimed there were “no toilets” as she queued outside from around 4pm.

“I am very disappointed, even more [with] the venue because obviously everyone was unraveling on social media, everyone knew what the situation was and the venue completely failed us,” she said.

Dutch police told Sky News that Minaj was arrested and ultimately fined for “illegally exporting soft drugs from the Netherlands to another country.”

The rapper said she arrived at her Manchester hotel early Sunday after spending “5 to 6 hours” in a cell in Amsterdam.

Then she invited fans to his hotelwhere, according to videos on social media, she addressed the crowd outside.

“I honestly wanted to tell you that I love you,” she said.

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On evening”.

A new date should be announced on Sunday, she added.

“A July option and a June option are currently under discussion. I will find a way to not only make up the date with the performance, but I will create an additional bonus for everyone who had a [ticket] for this show. Promise,” she wrote.

The new £365 million Co-op Live arena was plagued with problems before it was even created. open May 14.

The 23,500-capacity venue was originally due to open with two stand-up shows from Peter Kay on April 23 and 24, but this was pushed back when problems arose during a test event run by Rick Astley.

The arena then planned for American rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to open the arena on May 1, but it was canceled one hour before its performancewhen the ventilation system fell from the ceiling.

The ventilation problem also led to the postponement of planned performances by US pop star Olivia Rodrigo and British band Keane, while a series of Take That shows were moved to the AO Arena elsewhere in Manchester.