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.
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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.”
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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.
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“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.
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“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.”
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Daisy Jackson -
26th May 2024 
