Nicki Minaj has issued a statement on social media after her Co-op Live gig was cancelled HOURS after fans had entered the arena.
She had been arrested in Amsterdam on Saturday afternoon and was ‘sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours’, but it had initially looked like she would still make her gig here in Manchester.
Alas, several hours after she was due to take to the stage, fans inside the venue were told it had been postponed.
And since breaking her silence on the drama at the new Co-op Live arena, fans flocked to the hotel she’s staying in to show their support.
Videos show hundreds of Barbz (the name given to her fans) dressed in pink cheering for her outside the Stock Exchange last night.
ADVERTISEMENT
Nicki had tweeted that she’d come out to the balcony or downstairs to see everyone.
She later said: “I hear yall. How did yall get here so fast?!? Finally a smile. Thank you. 2 mins. But not so loud. It’s almost 2 in the morning ppl tryna sleep.”
ADVERTISEMENT
In her statement about the cancelled gig, Nicki said that she was ‘so grateful’ to the Co-op Live arena, which ‘was willing to go past 11pm’ to accommodate The Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
She also said that they are already discussing a new date as a priority, and that she will ‘create an added bonus for everyone that had a ticket for this show. Promise.’
Nicki Minaj’s full statement said: “Thank you to everyone who prayed for me today. May God cover you & all that is connected to you. May you be blessed beyond your imagination.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Barbz, I’m @ the stock exchange hotel in #Manchester. I arrived a little over an hour ago. After sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours, my plane still didn’t take off for another 20 mins once I boarded. The flight was 50 mins. 50 mins.
“That’s why they had to do the big song & dance b/c they knew I’d still find a way to perform even if it came down to my last 90 mins in the building which would have been until 1130pm. The building was willing to go past 11pm. So grateful to them for that.
“So they succeeded at their plan to not let me get on that stage tonight. I succeeded @ getting to the root of it all by recording them & posting everything in real time. I have sooooooooo much video evidence. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. I’ll have the lawyers & GOD take it from here tho.
“Please please please accept my deepest & most sincere apologies. They sure did know exactly how to hurt me today but this too, shall pass. They’ve been doing this over & over & over & over & over again & I’ve tried so hard to not discuss it b/c you guys deserve to just get the good stuff. I hate involving you in anything that isn’t for entertainment purposes only.
“We will have another date for tonight’s show shortly & I’ll probably be able to share it tmrw. One July option & one June option is currently being discussed. I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a tkt for this show. Promise.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I’ll STILL be performing at the 2nd #Manchester show on the 30th. 5 days away. I’ll STILL be performing in #Birmingham tmrw ok Barbz Love you.”
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”