Fans have been queuing since 4am to watch Nicki Minaj take to the stage in Manchester after she was arrested on suspicion of possessing soft drugs.
The rapper, 41, was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport just hours before she was supposed to take to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena on Saturday.
The gig was eventually cancelled hours after it was due to start – sending some Minaj fans, who go by the collective name Barbz, home in tears.
Although the cancelled performance has since been rescheduled to June 3, Nicki is set to perform in Manchester tonight as planned.
The most dedicated fans queued up at the ‘cursed’ venue from 4am while others have flown in from as far away as Iceland to watch Nicki perform in Manchester.
Nicki Minaj, 41, (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of possessing soft drugs in the Netherlands on Saturday
Nicki Minaj fans share a picture at 4am showing that they are already in the queue for the Manchester show
The Co-op Live arena lit itself up with pictures of Nicki as fans arrived for the concert.
The American singer is known for her hits such as Super Bass and Starships.
The venue, which has been plagued by a series of set backs, issued advice for those coming to the concert on X, formerly Twitter.
They advised that car parking would open at 2:30pm while the doors would open four hours later.
Lines of Nicki fans dressed in pink, the singer’s signature colour, grew throughout the day.
A list of prohibited items were also posted on the venue’s social media accounts.
Such items include food, glass, bottles, large umbrellas and disposable vapes.
The Co-Op live projects Nicki onto the exterior as fans arrive at the venue
Two fans revealed they had been queuing since 9am to see Nicki Minaj perform at the Co-Op Live Arena on May 30
The line appears to be much longer at 2pm on May 30 as fans arrive to see Nicki Minaj in Manchester
The Co-op Live posts on X, formerly Twitter
A list of prohibited items include large umbrellas and disposable vapes
Nicki fan Aaron Drohan flew from Dublin to Manchester for the show. He dresses in pink, the singer’s signature colour, for the concert
Nicki’s fans, collectively known as the Barbz, wait for the singer in the Co-op Live arena
Nicki was initially scheduled to perform to packed audiences in Manchester on May 25 and May 30, making her the first female rapper to sell out two shows at the venue.
Her rescheduled performance will take place on June 3.
Sharing the news on X, formerly Twitter, Nicki said: ‘OK guys, I was JUST RE-ADVISED that we actually CAN NOT do any other date for the make up #gagcityMANCHESTER date besides JUNE 3rd.
‘So JUNE 3rd is the new official date for all ticket holders who originally had tickets to the MAY 25th #Manchester show.
‘I apologise for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make the #JUNE3rd show. It’ll be really special. Ticketmaster will contact you to advise officially. Love you.’
Nicki said she spent around six hours in custody at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Saturday before being able to fly to the UK.
The American singer, known for the songs Starships, Super Bass and Anaconda, had live-streamed her arrest in the Netherlands at around 4pm after police detained her on suspicion of exporting soft drugs as she prepared to fly to Britain after ‘weed’ was allegedly found in her luggage.
The singer denied it belonged to her and claimed the items were the property of her security team.
An hour and a half later Co-op Live tweeted that doors for her Manchester show would open at 7pm and fans entered, despite the R&B star not being released from custody until around 8.55pm.
She was later seen arriving at Manchester late on Saturday night after devastated fans were sent home.
Nicki Minaj, 41, was seen for the first time since her drug arrest in Amsterdam as she arrived to the United Kingdom on Saturday
Nicki Minaj, 41, was seen for the first time since her drug arrest in Amsterdam as she arrived to the United Kingdom on Saturday
The late decision by bosses at the newly-built arena sparked a backlash as fans questioned why the ‘cursed’ venue let them go inside and spend money despite the show not going ahead.
But representatives for the beleaguered £365million arena, which belatedly opened this month after being plagued by setbacks, said they allowed people to enter to ‘ensure the safety and welfare of fans while awaiting updates’.
Alvin Christie, 29, from Liverpool, said he waited from 9am to attend the concert and criticised the mixed messages from staff at the venue.
He said: ‘I would say it was very poorly managed.
‘When we arrived into the event, they were actively telling fans that she had arrived and that everyone was going to dance tonight.
‘For a lot of people that were asking those questions, that’s obviously (keeping) people’s hopes up. I understand that maybe they wanted to get people into the arena for health and safety risks to stop people being outside.
‘But I think most importantly, they maybe could have advised people as soon as they’ve known that the show was postponed and we should be turned away when we’re outside the arena, rather than holding loads of people in the arena.’
Hundreds of fans queueing outside Manchester’s Co-op Live arena ahead of the scheduled show were filmed this evening chanting ‘Free Nicki Minaj’
Disappointed fans are seen leaving the arena after being told that tonight’s show was called off
Ms Allardyce said that since Co-op Live announced a delay in April to its opening event, where comedian Peter Kay was due to perform, she has been ‘on eggshells’ along with her friends who also had tickets for Minaj.
The rapper was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Saturday and says she spent six hours in custody before being allowed to go.
‘Obviously, it’s not Co-op’s fault what happened in Amsterdam, and it’s not Nicki’s fault either, like, obviously, no blame for her at all,’ she said.
‘But as I say, I just feel like the way they (the venue) handled it was just absolutely ridiculous. They have no clue, like absolutely no clue. I don’t think they were prepared for anything, to be honest.’
Ms Allardyce claimed that there were ‘no toilets’ at the Co-Op Live arena on Saturday while she queued outside the venue from 4pm.
Hope Brown, from Blackburn, revealed that last night’s concert was the second one that’s been cancelled on her this month at the Co-op Live arena.
‘I was meant to go to the Olivia Rodrigo concert earlier this month but that didn’t go ahead because the Co-op arena wasn’t ready,’ the 20-year-old said.
‘I’m beginning to think I’m jinked! We’d booked a hotel so made the best of a bad situation.
‘When she was still in Amsterdam in the early evening, the concert should have been cancelled then. It was never the ideal preparation for a concert going straight from a police station to a concert venue!’
Sophie Pearce, who had also been at the venue on Saturday night, said the organisation had been a ‘shambles’.
‘I’m so disappointed because I’ve been looking forward to the concert for so long,’ the 19-year-old said.
‘How it was handled was a bit of a shambles because all the fans were hanging around for hours when there was very little chance it would go ahead.
‘People have spent a lot of money to get here and it’s been for nothing.’
Alvin Christie (right) claimed security told people that Minaj was in the arena when she was actually 500 miles away in Amsterdam
Eileen Allardyce says she spent £2,500 on tickets, travel and accommodation, for the Nicki Minaj gig
Olivia Wilkinson, 22, said: ‘It has been an expensive trip for nothing.
‘I’m really disappointed. The concert should have been cancelled sooner as it must have been obvious she was never going to get to Manchester on time.
‘I’ve spent around £200 on tickets and accommodation and am hoping to salvage something from it by seeing her today.’
Laura Williams, 24, who travelled down from Lancaster, added: ‘It’s obvious that Nicki really wanted to perform last night because she still came to Manchester even though the concert had been cancelled.
‘I’m not sure whose fault it is but I don’t blame Nicki Minaj. I just hope the concert can be rescheduled soon.’
