RIYADH: A K-Pop concert featuring Stray Kids and Chungha in Riyadh has officially been canceled, with tickets for the mega musical event being refunded, Riyadh Season organizers said Wednesday.
In an official statement shared on its Twitter page, the festival said: “The 2021 Riyadh Season Chungha and Stray Kids show on Jan. 14 was regrettably canceled due to a sandstorm and extreme weather conditions. Your safety is always our priority. Tickets from the show will be refunded automatically to your wallet on the ticketing platform.”
Riyadh Season added that they are “committed to providing entertainment” and promised to bring the artists back to the Kingdom soon.
For inquiries, they shared a telephone number, 8002444010, and an email address to contact: [email protected].
The statement added: “K-pop fans, we hear you. We are fully committed and in discussion to bring the best K-pop to Saudi Arabia in the future. Stay tuned for more news!”
Lamar Jameel, a 16-year-old K-pop fan who came all the way from Tabuk to attend the concert, told Arab News: “I was so disappointed that it got postponed and now canceled. I was looking forward to attending as this was going to be my first time at a concert.
“I love Chungha, and it was going to be her first show in the region. If she had performed, she would have been the first K-pop female performer in Saudi Arabia. I hope she will come back as soon as Riyadh Season is in discussion to bring the artists back.”
A sandstorm caused by high-speed winds and heavy rain in Riyadh last Friday caused many outdoor events at Riyadh Season to close for public safety.
Turki Al-Sheikh, CEO of the General Entertainment Authority and chairman of the Riyadh Season, tweeted that due to the weather conditions in Riyadh, events had to be postponed, including the Stray Kids and Chungha concert.
Event organizers asked fans, who had gathered for the mega event, to evacuate the outdoor arena as “quickly as possible,” citing circumstances out of their control, with the high-speed winds preventing the concert from going ahead.
Riyadh Season tweeted shortly after: “For everyone’s safety, the Stray Kids and Chungha concert has been postponed until further notice due to weather conditions.”
The organizers were not able to say whether the concert would be postponed or canceled completely before Wednesday’s official statement.
