Music legend Lionel Richie has enraged over 20,000 fans after selling out a show in New York’s Madison Square Garden with Earth Wind & Fire on Saturday and then cancelling one hour after the show was meant to begin.
After the show was meant to start at 7.30 pm, the singer tweeted at 8.30 pm announcing that he could not make it due to poor weather conditions.
“Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight,”
“I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday, Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.”
Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight. I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) August 13, 2023
A video inside the arena during the cancellation announcement shows fans booing and leaving their seats.
@aurelioxj
One fan shared a video explaining her disappointment after being at the arena for over an hour and a half before hearing the show was postponed.
@shaylacharli Whats going on @Lionel Richie #fyp #madisonsquaregarden #fyp #fail #concert
Many fans had spent hundreds on tickets, flights and accommodation to travel to see the star live, slamming the singer for cancelling at such short notice.
Sounds like bad planning on your part @LionelRichie , trying to fly in at the last minute. I’ll take a refund please – no thx to Monday!
— @SpaceForceTimes (@spaceforcetimes) August 13, 2023
One user wrote, “We bought our parents good seats for a lot of money for their 50th wedding anniversary. They’re 75 and were really looking forward to tonight’s show. Thanks for ruining the gift we got for them,”
“We went out of the way to get the weekend off and now I can’t go on Monday,” said a woman who came in from Long Island with her husband and co-worker.
“Does he think it’s easy for me to take off Monday night? This is New York. We work.”
Many people noted that the singer should have arrived earlier in the day to do a soundcheck, therefore there was no explanation as to why there wasn’t previous notice that the singer couldn’t make it.
@LionelRichie Serious question… why was there NO sound check a few hours before the show?
— Jessica M (@jsrbbb) August 13, 2023
“You can’t sell out Madison Square Garden and [cancel due to] a weather issue. I’m frustrated and I’m concerned — I think it might be something else. I’m worried that it’s something else and that [the weather] was an excuse,” one concerned woman told The Post.
We’d be angry too!
Listen to Lionel Richie’s radio on iHeart Radio below!
