Unhappy: Nicki Minaj post-arrest cancels her Manchester gig.
Following her arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Nicki Minaj’s performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live stadium was abruptly canceled, leaving fans furious. Seven hours prior
An airport staff member notifies Nicki Minaj that her bag will be searched.
Nicki Minaj fans were left frustrated when the American rapper’s performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena was canceled last minute due to her arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Minaj was taken into custody on suspicion of attempting to export soft drugs, but was later fined 350 euros and allowed to continue her journey, according to Dutch authorities.
The artist’s absence left around 20,000 fans waiting in the arena for her to take the stage on Saturday. Imogen Pope, 18, from Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside, expressed her disappointment, stating that she had spent £150 on her ticket and even took a day off work for the concert. Ellis Day, 17, from Cheshire, also shared his dismay, mentioning the effort they put into preparing for the event and the disappointment of being informed at the last minute that the show was not going to happen.
Nicki Minaj’s fans were outraged when her show was cancelled.
. The fans entered the arena at 19:00 BST with hopes of the gig going ahead, but were disappointed when the announcement of the postponement came just after 21:30 BST. Some fans expressed their frustration with boos before leaving the Manchester arena. When the event was postponed, it was discovered via flight data and social media that Minaj’s jet was still in Amsterdam. Kian Young, 23, who had traveled from Sculthorpe in Lincolnshire, expressed his disappointment, stating that he had heard about Minaj’s arrest in Amsterdam earlier in the day. Many fans questioned why the arena did not make an official statement earlier and expressed confusion as to why the show was not cancelled before they were brought into the arena, causing distress to attendees.
Kian Young (on the left) expressed that the concert should have been canceled earlier.
This is the most recent issue for the new £450m arena, which has faced difficulties in postponing or relocating concerts by artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Take That, and Peter Kay in recent weeks due to various delays and technical issues. Olivia Gibson, 21, from Newcastle, mentioned that she is no longer a fan and believes that Minaj, who has a history of being late, should have allowed more time for travel. “I feel disgusted. However, I’m not surprised,” she stated. “It’s not the Co-op Live’s fault. She has disappointed all of her fans.”
Olivia Gibson, on the left, felt let down when the event was postponed at the last minute.
Anna, another ticket-holder, traveled from Poland with her boyfriend and estimated that they had spent around £1,000 for the entire trip. “I’m really upset because my boyfriend gave me a ticket for the concert for Valentine’s Day,” she expressed. “We flew all the way from Poland for this concert. It’s a significant amount of money.” Despite their disappointment, other devoted fans refused to hold Minaj responsible. Shas Shah, 23, from Manchester, commented, “What has transpired tonight is definitely not the artist’s fault – it’s an issue that originated in another country and shouldn’t be attributed to her. Co-op Live should have been more transparent and informed us sooner. People have taken time off from work, purchased tickets, only for the event to be canceled. The situation should have been addressed earlier.”
Pre-prepared cards containing an announcement from Co-op Live were distributed to the fans.
Minaj took to social media to reveal that she was held in a jail cell for approximately five to six hours before finally reaching her hotel in Manchester at midnight.
In a post, she expressed frustration at being prevented from performing on stage, without specifying who was responsible.
Minaj extended her sincere apologies and acknowledged the emotional toll of the situation, but assured her fans that she would overcome it.
She also hinted at a rescheduled date for the performance, with a special surprise for ticket holders, to be announced on Sunday.
Minaj had already scheduled a second date at Co-op Live for Thursday.
Earlier on Saturday, Minaj recorded a portion of her arrest and shared it on social media. In the video, a police officer can be heard informing her that she is under arrest. She can be seen denying that she was carrying drugs. The music artist posted a series of messages on X, stating that her luggage was taken without her consent and highlighting that she was in Amsterdam where marijuana is legal.
According to Dutch prosecutors, it was reported in local media that she was found with 30 to 100 grams of cannabis. However, Minaj claims that the “pre-rolls” belonged to her security guard. Possession, sale, or production of drugs is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but the country has a policy of tolerance towards small amounts of certain drugs.
In response to the situation, promoters Live Nation announced the postponement of Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May. They assured that tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled performance and expressed deep disappointment over the inconvenience caused.
The same statement was posted by Co-op Live. Minaj is set to continue her tour in Birmingham on Sunday, followed by visits to London and Glasgow, before a second scheduled date in Manchester on Thursday.
