Reports claim 50,000 tickets were sold for the 25,000-capacity Adtyaram Palace City for Sunday’s gig. Fans were crushed outside the venue, with thousands holding tickets unable to enter and enjoy the concert.
Further claims contend there was no VIP section despite hospitality packages sold for around $500. There are also reports that poor crowd management was to blame, with doors being closed despite there being areas of the venue that were virtually empty.
In an Instagram post, promoter ACTC Events accepted responsibility for the chaos and begged fans not to blame Rahman. According to the Hindustan Times, the Grammy Award winner promised on Twitter to refund the tickets of those who could not reach the venue.
Dearest Chennai Makkale, those of you who purchased tickets and weren’t able to enter owing to unfortunate circumstances, please do share a copy of your ticket purchase to arr4chennai@btos.in along with your grievances. Our team will respond asap????@BToSproductions @actcevents
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) September 11, 2023
Rahman said: “Right now, we are just terribly disturbed. Safety was the primary issue, especially because there were women and kids. I don’t want to point fingers at anyone, but we have to realise that the city is expanding, and the passion to consume music and art is also expanding.”
Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai Corporation has ordered ACTC Events to submit official ticket sales as it chases entertainment tax receipts. The Times of India reports it was supposed to divulge the information within 24 hours of the gig taking place. The body is due to receive 10% of all ticket sales.