The Kid LAROI was due to play the first of two sold-out shows at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena tonight (3rd June). The 18 year old pop star was expected on stage at 9.00pm local time. However, an announcement came through the speakers at around 9.30pm informing the crowd the show was cancelled due to sickness.
Ticket holders subsequently received an email explaining that the event’s promoters, Handsome Tours & TEG, are “working through new event dates” and that these new dates will be “communicated as soon as possible.” Ticket holders were also instructed to hang onto their tickets until a new date was confirmed.
The 14,000 strong crowd was not pleased. In the lead-up to LAROI’s anticipated appearance on stage, the atmosphere was electric. The fans, who spanned several age groups, were singing along to the pre-show soundtrack, doing the Mexican wave, and cheering each other on as many drinks were consumed from shoes.
But once the cancellation was announced, several drinks were thrown in frustration and chants of “Fuck LAROI” could be heard as people regretfully left the building.
LAROI explained his reasons for cancelling on Instagram. “To say I’m sorry is an understatement,” he wrote. “I woke up this morning feeling really sick. I immediately took a covid test and it came back negative.” LAROI said he then made his way to the venue as planned and, after a second negative Covid test, carried on with sound check.
However, LAROI’s health soon took a turn for the worse. “I wanted to perform still,” he wrote. “So we called the doctors and had them bring an IV drip.” But it was to no avail – “[It got] to the point where it was hard for me to stand up and go to the bathroom.”
LAROI added, with apparent remorse, “I promise you with all my heart that I gave everything in me to try and get up on that stage tonight … I am so so unbelievably fuckin sorry.”
