In Dublin, on Saturday, followers of Nicki Minaj voiced their frustration and dissatisfaction when the performer showed up to perform around 90 minutes later than scheduled and then gave a less than an hour-long performance. The rapper was expected to take the stage at Malahide Castle just post 8pm, however, she didn’t make an appearance until just before 10pm and disappeared before 11pm.
Throughout the singer’s performance, which was set against a background of pouring rain and dark grey skies, she periodically vanished for costume changes. This made her absence seem even longer. Minaj’s social media account made no mention of her tardiness or the briefness of her performance, with a short video shared on Sunday focusing on the enthusiastic crowd and Minaj’s enjoyment of the performance.
However, various fans, some of whom had shelled out nearly €100 or more for tickets, felt less than satisfied with their experience. Numerous of them voiced their disfavour on the social media page of MCD, the concert organiser, bemoaning the performance and the delay.
Regretful attendees bemoaned both the lateness of Minaj and the lack of communication or apology from the star or the promoter. They labelled the performance an “utter letdown” and a “disgrace” with calls for refunds being widespread.
Despite several requests for a statement, MCD has given no comment as of now.
Minaj’s disappointing performance at Malahide Castle wasn’t her only letdown over the weekend. The renowned rapper cancelled her appearance at a festival in Romania, mere hours before her scheduled performance, due to anticipated local protests.
Not merely an artist, but also a 41-year-old mother, Minaj cited her need to make “responsible choices” not only for her personal wellbeing but also for the safety of her team and returning home to her family.
Minaj communicated her decision not to attend the Saga Festival in Bucharest, where she was slotted for the prime slot from 10:55 pm to 12:10 am, through social media, due to the predicted disturbances. “Out of anxiety for the safety of our group and myself, I’ve been counselled by my security team against traveling to tonight’s festival in Romania due to protests in the region,” she shared. She expressed gratitude for her supporters’ understanding and patience despite the circumstances.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Minaj was previously forced to withdraw from a performance in Amsterdam last month after being held at the city’s airport on suspicion of smuggling “soft drugs” out of the country. This interference caused a rescheduling of her performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.
In 2022, her stint at the Wireless Festival in England was cut short due to overcrowding, an unfortunate turn of events that left her fans disheartened as they were turned away with a ticket in hand.
Minaj tried to appease her disgruntled fans by organising a meet and greet in Camden the subsequent day, however, this failed to resolve the unrest. Despite originally planning to arrive at noon, arrival was delayed until 2pm, and a mob of eager fans caused a scene at 6pm as she approached the venue. To maintain control, Minaj had to be escorted from the scene by police before entering the venue.