ReutersNicki Minaj fans were furious after her gig at Manchester’s Co-op Live stage was canceled at the last minute after she was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
Dutch police said Mina was arrested on suspicion of exporting soft drugs and was later fined and allowed to continue her journey.
However, she was unable to make it to Manchester in time for Saturday’s concert, which was postponed as around 20,000 fans were waiting for her to take the stage.
Among them was Imogen Pope, 18, from Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, who said she was “very angry”.
“I paid £150 for the ticket and booked a day off for it and we sat there waiting for about three hours but we were told it wasn’t going to happen,” she said. “I’m sad.”
Ellis Day, 17, from Cheshire, said he was “absolutely devastated”.
“We came here and we spent the whole day getting ready just to see this happen.
“When we had high hopes and spent money we were told at the last minute that she wasn’t going to be there, which was really disappointing.”
Fans were allowed onto the stage at 19:00 BST and expected the show to go ahead until a postponement was announced after 21:30 BST – around the time she was expected to take the stage.
There were some boos at the Manchester Arena before everyone left.
When the Manchester show was postponed, the plane thought to be transporting Mina was still in Amsterdam, according to footage on social media and flight data.
“I’m disappointed because I saw Nicki Minaj was arrested in Amsterdam this afternoon,” said Kian Young, 23, who traveled from Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
The arrest was beyond the arena’s control but Mr Young was one of many who questioned why an official statement had not been issued earlier.
“I’m confused why Co-op Arena didn’t talk to the fans. Why didn’t they cancel the game at 17:00?
“Everyone’s here – my wife is crying. Why didn’t you tell us the event was canceled before you brought us in?”
It is the latest issue to hit the new £450m venue, which has also seen the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Take That and Peter Kay hit the road after suffering a series of delays and technical issues in recent weeks. The performance must be postponed or moved.
Olivia Gibson, 21, from Newcastle, said she was now a “former fan” and Minaj had a history of being late and should have allowed more time to travel.
“I’m shocked. But in a way, I’m not shocked,” she said.
“It’s not Co-op Live’s fault. She just let all her fans down.”
Another ticket holder, Anna, who traveled from Poland with her boyfriend, said their trip cost them around £1,000 in total.
“I was angry because my boyfriend gave me a ticket to a Valentine’s Day concert,” she said. “We flew from Poland to attend this concert.
“She knows this place is sold out. It’s a lot of money.”
Other die-hard fans refused to blame Minaj.
Shaz Shah, 23, from Manchester, said: “What happened tonight is absolutely not the artist’s fault – it’s a problem in another country and the blame should not be placed on her.
“Co-op Live should have been more transparent and told us sooner. People have booked days off and bought tickets, only to have shows canceled. Things should have been escalated sooner.”
Mina said on social media that she spent five to six hours in the cell before finally arriving at her hotel in Manchester around midnight.
“Their plan worked, I was not allowed to go on that stage tonight,” she wrote on X, without revealing who she was referring to.
“Please accept my deepest and most sincere apology.
“They sure knew how to hurt me today, but this too shall pass.
“They do it over and over again and I’ve tried not to talk about it [because] You deserve good things. I hate to involve you in anything that isn’t just for entertainment purposes.
She said she hoped to announce the rescheduled date on Sunday and promised “extra incentives” for those who bought tickets.
ReutersMinaj earlier filmed part of her arrest and posted it to social media on Saturday afternoon.
In the video, a police officer can be heard telling her: “You’re under arrest.” She is seen telling him she was not carrying drugs.
The music star posted a series of messages on X. In another post she added: “This is Amsterdam by the way [by the way]where marijuana is legal.
Technically, it is illegal to possess, sell or produce drugs in the Netherlands. But the country has a lenient policy on the sale or possession of small amounts of certain drugs.
“Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed,” promoters Live Nation said in a statement.
“Tickets are still available for rescheduled performances and we will announce them as soon as possible.
“Despite Nikki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to allow tonight’s show to go ahead as scheduled, the events of today have made that impossible. We are deeply disappointed for the inconvenience this has caused.”
Co-op Live also issued the same statement.
Minaj will continue her tour in Birmingham on Sunday before visiting London and Glasgow before a second scheduled date in Manchester on Thursday.
