Nicki Minaj Co-op Live: Everything we know so far as thousands of fans wait in the arena

Nicki Minaj fans were left waiting in the Co-op Arena Live for the star to appear tonight after a flurry of drama.

There has been no official word yet on whether tonight’s sold-out show will go ahead after the American rapper and singer was arrested in Amsterdam today. A statement to the PA news agency of the National Police Corps said that a woman, aged 41, was arrested after allegedly trying to take soft drugs from Schiphol airport to another country. They confirmed at around 7.30pm that she remained in custody and that the force was still investigating, the Manchester Evening News reports.

This came after a series of social media posts on X (formerly Twitter), after the singer said: “Trying to hold me to MANCHESTER.” During a video she later posted on her Instagram and X profiles, the American rapper and singer can be seen talking to an Amsterdam officer who accuses her of “carrying drugs”.

READ MORE: Co-op Live issues Nicki Minaj update after singer is pulled over by police hours before concert

READ MORE: Nicki Minaj turned herself in to the police hours before the Co-Op Live concert

He can then be seen urging her into what appears to be a police van as he tells her he’s going to a “police station”. She then posted at 4pm that she had to go to a police station to make a “statement”.

Dutch police have since confirmed that Nicki Minaj has been “released to continue her journey”. They uploaded a statement to X at 20:46, which read: “We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs . After consultation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect was fined and can continue his journey.”

The singer has stopped posting on social media since 4pm and was originally due on stage in Manchester at 8pm. Co-op Live has since posted on X saying: “Please note that general admission and premium doors for tonight’s @NickiMinaj show will now open at 7pm.”

Thousands of fans are currently waiting in the arena for the star to take the stage. There is also some concern that even if Nicki Minaj arrives soon, the venue will be in breach of its license conditions as concerts cannot take place after 11pm.

Currently, Co-Op live has not stated that the concert will not take place. Some fans took to Twitter to share their frustration as they wait for the concert.

One tweet read: “Sitting here like an idiot with my daughter while @NICKIMINAJ is probably still in #amsterdam being arrested!”

Another fan said: “I think Co-Op Live is cursed.”

Some fans speculated if the star had already arrived by helicopter. One tweet read: “Manchester barbz have confirmed that Nicki Minaj has just arrived and is entering the arena!” However, some responded saying the tweet was “false information”.

Fans are currently waiting inside the arena. There have been no updates as of 8:50pm on whether Nicki Minaj will be performing tonight.

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