Nicki Minaj Apologizes To Fans As Manchester Concert Canceled After Arrest | Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj has offered her “deepest and most sincere apologies” after her Manchester concert was canceled at the last minute when she was arrested in Amsterdam.

The American rapper was detained for hours at Schiphol Airport on suspicion of “light drug possession” before being fined by Dutch police and allowed to continue his journey.

Her show at Co-op Live was abandoned at 9.30pm when Minaj was due to take the stage. Around 20,000 fans were inside the venue, the UK’s largest indoor arena, when they were told the concert had been called off.

There were boos from the crowd and some concert-goers said they felt “disgusted” and “betrayed” by the 41-year-old star.

“I feel terrified. But also, in a way, I’m not shocked,” said Olivia Gibson, 21, who traveled from Newcastle for the gig. “And it’s not Co-op Live’s fault. She let all her fans down.”

Minaj said on social media that she was in a jail cell for five to six hours and finally arrived at her hotel in Manchester around midnight.

“They succeeded in their plan to not let me on this stage tonight,” she wrote on X, without saying who she was referring to. “Please, please accept my deepest and most sincere apologies. They sure knew exactly how to hurt me today, but this too shall pass.

“They did it over and over and over and over and I tried so hard not to talk about it because you guys only deserve the good stuff. I hate to involve you in anything that isn’t just for entertainment purposes.”

She said she hoped to announce a rescheduled date on Sunday, promising an “extra bonus” for those who bought a ticket.

Minaj went on to meet fans – who call themselves Barbz – outside Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel shortly before 2am on Sunday.

“I love you … and I’m so sorry,” she told those gathered, according to footage shared on social media.

Co-op Live, which has suffered a string of setbacks since opening in April, said it was “deeply disappointed” at the inconvenience caused by the latest cancellation, which came two-and-a-half hours after ticket-holders entered the arena .

The venue said: “Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled show, which will be announced as soon as possible. Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every avenue possible to make tonight’s show happen, today’s events have made that impossible.”

Minaj is due to perform in Birmingham on Sunday night before returning to Manchester on Thursday.