Nicki Minaj fans were left disappointed after her concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena was canceled at the last minute due to her arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
Dutch authorities reported that Minaj was detained on suspicion of exporting soft drugs, fined 350 euros (£300; $380), and subsequently released to continue her journey.
Unfortunately, this delay prevented her from arriving in Manchester in time for the performance, leading to the concert’s postponement.
Around 20,000 fans were already present in the arena, including Imogen Pope, 18, from Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside, who expressed her frustration, saying she was “pretty livid”.
“I spent £150 for my ticket and booked a day off work for it, and we sat there for about three hours waiting and we got told it’s not happening,” she said. “I’m gutted.”
Ellis Day, 17, from Cheshire, said he was “absolutely devastated”.
“We’ve come here, we spent all day getting ready, to see this happen.
“It’s just really disappointing when we’ve got our hopes up and spent the money, and we get told at the very last minute that she’s not going to show up.”
Fans were let into the arena at 19:00 BST, maintaining hope that the concert would proceed until the postponement announcement was made just after 21:30 BST, around the scheduled time for Nicki Minaj to take the stage.
The crowd reacted with some boos before exiting the venue. Social media videos and flight data indicated that the plane believed to be transporting Minaj was still in Amsterdam when the postponement was announced.
“I’m disappointed because I saw this afternoon that Nicki Minaj got arrested in Amsterdam,” said Kian Young, 23, who had travelled from Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
The arrest was beyond the arena’s control, but Mr Young was one of many to question why no official statement was made earlier.
“I’m confused as to why the Co-op arena hasn’t spoken to its fans. Why didn’t they cancel it at 17:00?
“Everyone’s come – my missus is crying. Why not tell us it’s cancelled before bringing us in?”
The cancellation of Nicki Minaj’s concert is the latest issue for the new £450 million Co-op Live arena, which has faced a series of delays and technical problems, causing postponements or relocations of shows by artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Take That, and Peter Kay in recent weeks.
Olivia Gibson, 21, from Newcastle, expressed her disappointment, stating she was now an “ex-fan” and criticized Minaj for her history of tardiness, suggesting she should have allocated more time for travel.
“I feel appalled. But also, in a way, I’m not shocked,” she said.
“And it’s not the Co-op Live’s fault. She’s just let all her fans down.”
Another ticket-holder, Anna, traveled from Poland with her boyfriend and mentioned they had spent about £1,000 on the trip in total.
“I’m very angry because my boyfriend gave me a ticket for the concert for Valentine’s Day,” she said. “We flew from Poland for this concert.
“She knows it is sold out here. It’s a lot of money.”
Other die-hard fans refused to blame Minaj.
Shaz Shah, 23, from Manchester, said:
“What’s happened tonight is definitely not the artist’s fault – it’s an issue that’s happened in another country and it shouldn’t be taken out on her.
“Co-op Live should have been a bit more transparent and told us a bit sooner. People have booked days off work, they’ve bought tickets, just for it to be cancelled. The matter should have been escalated sooner.”
On social media, Nicki Minaj stated that she was held in a jail cell for between five and six hours before finally arriving at her hotel in Manchester around midnight.
“They succeeded at their plan to not let me get on that stage tonight,” she wrote on X, without saying who she was referring to.
“Please please please accept my deepest & most sincere apologies.
“They sure did know exactly how to hurt me today but this too, shall pass.
“They’ve been doing this over & over & over & over & over again & I’ve tried so hard to not discuss it b/c [because] you guys deserve to just get the good stuff. I hate involving you in anything that isn’t for entertainment purposes only.”
Nicki Minaj posted on social media that she hoped to announce a rescheduled date for the concert on Sunday, promising an “added bonus” for ticket holders. She also filmed part of her arrest and shared it online, where a police officer can seemingly be heard telling her, “You are under arrest.” Minaj insisted she was not carrying drugs.
She posted several messages on X (formerly Twitter), including complaints about her luggage being taken without consent and noting that the incident occurred in Amsterdam, where weed is legal. Dutch prosecutors informed local media that she was found with 30 to 100 grams of cannabis, but Minaj claimed the pre-rolled joints belonged to her security guard.
While it is technically illegal to possess, sell, or produce drugs in the Netherlands, the country has a policy of toleration for the sale or possession of small amounts of certain drugs.
In a statement, promoters Live Nation said:
“Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed.”
“Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced as soon as possible.
“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”
Co-op Live posted the same statement about the postponement. Nicki Minaj is set to continue her tour in Birmingham on Sunday, followed by performances in London and Glasgow, before returning to Manchester for a second scheduled date on Thursday.
