The Kid Laroi has apologized to fans after sparking outrage for canceling an $800 meet and greet after his Sydney show.
The Australian music superstar, 21, angered fans by canceling an exclusive VIP meeting at the last minute after his show at CommBank Stadium on November 16.
One fan took to TikTok at the time to share their dismay, claiming they only received a text message notifying them of the news and were simply presented with a signed poster instead of the meet-and-greet of $800.
Amid the uproar, Laroi has apologized to his fans who were scheduled to meet him and promised them special consolation in lieu of the meeting.
A statement released explained that Laroi could not participate in the planned event “due to unforeseen circumstances beyond his control.”
“I am deeply sorry for any disappointment this may have caused,” the singer added. “I love my fans and always look forward to connecting with them.”
The Kid Laroi has apologized to fans after sparking outrage for canceling an $800 meet and greet after his Sydney show at CommBank Stadium on November 16 (pictured)
He has promised that those who had the meet-and-greet passes will receive an email by November 22 with further information about their ‘special’ comfort.
Laroi – whose full name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard – had taken to the stage in Sydney to deliver an electrifying performance as part of his The First Time Tour.
However, shortly after the show, a TikTok user came up with the name George999 took to the social media platform to share his anger over the meet-and-greet being canceled.
The fan explained the unfortunate situation alongside images of his VIP passes to the coveted event.
“We were supposed to have meet and greet tickets for $800…we got this message after waiting in line for an hour,” he said, before sharing a screenshot of a text message announcing the cancellation.
‘The meet and greet is canceled and we will receive a signed poster as a replacement. Like, yeah, that’s a great replacement,” the ticket holder added sarcastically.
“That was all the information we got that night and nothing about refunds or anything.”
In another blunder, the fan claimed that organizers had initially said the signed poster would be available in the VIP area, before clarifying that they would send it out instead.
A statement explained that Laroi (pictured on stage) could not participate in the planned event ‘due to unforeseen circumstances beyond his control’
The disappointed fan then said he was more concerned about getting a “damn refund” for the $800 meet-and-greet.
Despite the difficulties for some ticket holders, Laroi delivered a dynamic mix of explosive fireworks, heartfelt singing and on-stage sing-along moments that shook Sydney’s CommBank Stadium to its core.
The Sydney-born rapper’s passionate energy brought the crowd to life and provided an evening of unforgettable music with his incredible 22-song setlist.
The evening started with his smash hit Baby I’m Back and moved seamlessly into fan favorite songs including Girls and Tragic.
Laroi also showed his commitment to fan safety during the raucous performance when he paused and restarted his song So Done to address a serious injury to the audience.
Footage shared on social media showed Laroi pointing at the crowd and urging them to stop singing as he looked at a fan who appeared to be in trouble.
Despite the music stopping, the crowd continued to sing the lyrics to his hit song amid the silence, but Laroi waited steadfastly to make sure the fan was okay.
“Sorry guys, give us a second, I think someone’s hurt, we have to wait a little bit,” he told the crowd.
Following the cancellation, one fan claimed that they only received a text message informing them of the news and were simply presented with a signed poster in lieu of the $800 meet-and-greet.
After confirming that the fan was okay, Laroi said “okay, let’s get back to it,” and restarted his popular song, sending the crowd wild.
He then closed the evening with an unforgettable rendition of Stay, Laroi’s mega hit with Justin Bieber, which rocked the entire arena.
Elsewhere, Laroi was nominated in four different categories at the 2024 ARIA Awards in recent days, including for Song of the Year.
However, his song Nights Like This was beaten in the category by Something To Give Each Other by Troye Sivan.
Laroi was also nominated for best pop release for girls, best hip-hop/rap release for the first time and best solo artist, but was unable to take home any of the awards.