Drake concert at Vancouver's Rogers Arena postponed due to equipment issue
CBC
An issue with a video board at Vancouver's Rogers Arena prompted a last-minute postponement of Toronto rapper Drake's concert on Monday night.
In a statement, Canucks Sports and Entertainment (CSE) — which manages the 19,000-seat arena in downtown Vancouver — said that "unforeseen circumstances" with the newly-installed piece of equipment meant the concert was pushed to Wednesday instead.
Drake was set to perform two shows in the city as part of his It's All A Blur tour of North America, originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The show scheduled for Tuesday will still go ahead, according to CSE. Anyone who had a ticket to the Monday show will be able to go on Wednesday.
"Drake was ready and excited to perform. He is looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday and Wednesday," read a CSE statement. "Rogers Arena apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause."
The cancellation came as a shock to many concert-goers, thousands of whom found out while they were queuing up outside Rogers Arena. It came only two hours before the show was set to go ahead at 8 p.m. PT on Monday.
"I'm heartbroken. I've been waiting all day," said Burnaby resident Brooke Graham, who had been waiting since 6:30 a.m. to get a wristband and see one of her favourite artists up close.
Graham, 26, only found out about the postponement — after she was inside the arena — from a fellow fan who saw the announcement on Instagram.
While Graham will be able to catch the postponed show on Wednesday, others like Calgary resident Darth Hundal are out of luck.
"I booked my Airbnb, like months out before this happened," he said. "I guess I just gotta get a refund and just like head home ... I'm just speechless."
CBC News has reached out to CSE to find out what the issue was with the video board, and whether fans can expect to be compensated.
