Fans Lash Out After Arena Cancels Pop Star's 2 Sold-Out Shows

Olivia Rodrigo performs onstage during the Olivia Rodrigo Sold-Out GUTS World Tour at Madison Square Garden on April 05, 2024 in New York City.

Olivia Rodrigo fans are spiraling after the pop star's two sold-out shows in Manchester, England were postponed by the arena just days in advance.

On Wednesday, May 1, the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester confirmed that Rodrigo's shows would be canceled due to an "on-going venue-related technical issue."

"Ticket-holders can either hold on to their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase," the venue wrote on X while announcing the news. "We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many."

The singer's Manchester shows, as part of her GUTS World Tour, were scheduled to take place on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. The dates are said to be getting postponed, but many fans have already lost faith in the venue, as this isn't the first time it has canceled a show at the last minute.

The Co-Op Live Arena was initially supposed to open its doors for the first time with comedian Peter Kay on April 23 and April 24, though those dates were pushed to later in April, and then delayed again until the end of May.

The Black Keys also had an event planned for April 27, which was bumped to May 15, while rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's concert was canceled just hours before the show on Wednesday, May 1, after fans had already began lining up outside the arena. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's show has since been rescheduled for this weekend at the AO Arena in Manchester.

Many of Rodrigo's fans are completely gutted over the last-minute cancellation, as many people have taken to the internet to call out the venue's lack of reliability.

"if it’s a known, on-going issue you’d think that more notice would’ve been warranted? so sorry to everyone who was excited," one person wrote on X after Wednesday's news.

Another disappointed fan added, " Can you break this to my 12yr old daughter due to go on Friday for her birthday please ? Least you can do."

"The Co-op live opening has been a tale of how not to open a venue," someone else wrote while addressing what is believed to be ventilation issues plaguing the arena. "The fact that they were ready to open and then part of the AC in the roof plummeted to the floor hours before that room would have been full of people is astonishingly reckless beyond belief."

"i hope liv and her team know nobody is mad at them at all, we just f—king hate co-op live," another upset fan wrote.

Rodrigo, 21, took to her Instagram Story on Thursday to address the difficult news, writing to her fans, "I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues."

"We’re doing our best to reschedule the show. You can hold onto your tickets for further info or request a refund at your point of purchase," she wrote. "More info will be sent directly to ticket holders. I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon 💜."

The venue still has other acts planned for the coming weeks, including a concert from Keane on Sunday, May 5, which fans are now expecting won't actually happen.

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