RAYE apologises after 65 fans denied entry to Paris concert due to ticketing error

WASHINGTON: British singer RAYE issued an apology after several fans were denied entry to her concert in Paris due to a ticket issue.

RAYE, aka Rachel Keen, took to her social media account to speak up after 65 ticket holders were turned away from her February 15 show at Accor Arena. Fans were not allowed inside even though they had valid tickets, according to People magazine.

In a post shared on Tuesday, February 17, RAYE said she was deeply upset about what happened and described the situation as unacceptable.

“I am completely devastated for the 65 ticket holders who were turned away from entering our Paris show on Sunday night. This is completely unacceptable and wrong,” she wrote in a statement shared on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

The 28-year-old singer also explained that the problem resulted from a ‘system error’ at Ticketmaster, which prevented the tickets from being properly validated at the time of purchase. “The situation was outside of anything I could control, and I feel saddened and let down,” she added.

“I know everyone affected was refunded and given a voucher from Ticketmaster, but I’d like to offer all of these 65 people who didn’t get into the show complimentary tickets to any future RAYE show of their choice, along with a signed vinyl. You will be contacted shortly about this,” she continued.

“I know this doesn’t even remotely make up for this mess, but it’s all I can think of in this moment to soften the blow,” the musician wrote. “My deepest apologies to those of you affected.”

Ticketmaster also addressed the issue in a statement to People magazine. “A small number of fans experienced a technical issue when entering the show. While we know it doesn’t replace the show, we have fully refunded those affected and provided a gift card,” said a spokesperson.

This isn’t the first time that Ticketmaster has faced criticism over ticketing problems. Singer Olivia Dean had earlier called out the platform over high resale prices, and Taylor Swift had also faced issues during the sale of her Eras Tour tickets in 2022, according to People. (ANI)