This past weekend turned out to be a big one for fans behaving badly at arenas. The Brooklyn Nets’ home season opener was disrupted by anti-vaccine advocates, forcing the arena to be temporarily locked down when some of them tried to force their way inside. However, that somehow wasn’t the only incident of totally batsh*t behavior inspired by a cult-like figure at an arena, with another example taking place thousands of miles away in a completely different context on Saturday night.
As noted by HipHopDX and documented by a slew of fan videos, the Playboi Carti Narcissist Tour stop at Houston’s NRG Park was canceled after fans raged out outside the arena, pushing over metal detectors, throwing down barricades, and trying to force their way inside after waiting hours for the concert to begin. According to Click2Houston, the show was canceled without warning after fans waited hours in the rain. According to one fan, when Houston police were called to the scene, some fans even kicked the police horses (these people should be flogged to within an inch of their lives).
CARTI CANCLED ON HOUSTON pic.twitter.com/ZeXbdUb9pP
— its paul wall baby (@leighannnuh) October 24, 2021
Another fan, quoted by Houston’s ABC affiliate, tried to explain the chaos. “It’s a really intense, aggressive album,” they said. “People came to the concert really amped up and ready to go crazy. Maybe the people at NRG weren’t prepared for that.” NRG Park released a statement as well, explaining that, “Last night in the interest of public safety and on the advice from the Houston Police Department, the Playboi Carti concert scheduled for NRG Arena was canceled. The safety of all guests, staff, and artists is our highest priority.”
There is still no official word on why the concert was canceled, nor has Carti himself responded, although his Sunday tweet of “Cult” could be considered an apt description of the events to follow. Check out more videos below.
Cult
— (@playboicarti) October 24, 2021
this the best clip i got from the playboi carti concert in houston last night pic.twitter.com/bID8N3EmFk
— ghazi hassanein (@GhaziHassanein) October 24, 2021
Playboi Carti’s show in Houston tonight has been cancelled due to fans being too wild and they also knocked out a security guard pic.twitter.com/YaevAzI3LL
— STRAPPED! | Hip-Hop/Rap News (@STRAPPEDUS) October 24, 2021
Playboi Carti fans couldn’t wait any longer and busted down the security gates pic.twitter.com/6WnHwi9EUD
— STRAPPED! | Hip-Hop/Rap News (@STRAPPEDUS) October 24, 2021
stormed the arena to see #playboicarti but it got cancelled pic.twitter.com/pVd13ylVb4
— ladson (@LadsonWorley) October 24, 2021