Chris Brown addresses ticket issues following Atlanta concerts
Three days after many fans shared their frustrations with ticketing at Chris Brown’s Aug. 30 and 31 Atlanta shows at Truist Park, he responded on social media.
“Team Breezy, I see yall (sic) reviews about the difficulty at some venues with the parking, seating, etc,” the 36-year-old shared in an Instagram story on Wednesday. “Hope yall (sic) understand this is my first stadium tour so I don’t know if the people in charge of that in the cities realized the capacity I would bring out.”
Over the weekend, some fans who had floor seats to Brown’s shows at Truist Park were told that their tickets no longer existed upon arrival — causing some of them to miss the concert.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke to four fans who described the concert experience as “chaotic” and “completely out of order.”
Fairburn resident Brianna Upshaw was one of them. In April, Upshaw bought her $700 floor seat via Ticketmaster to Brown’s Aug. 30 show. When she arrived, she said she was told to get in another line to receive a new ticket because the original was invalid.
Upshaw said the line to receive a new ticket was so long that she never acquired one. As of Thursday morning, she’s still waiting for a refund.
“I never made it to the front of the line. … I was in that line from 6-8:30 p.m.,” the 28-year-old said. “I missed the openers, but when I heard (Brown) come out, I was like, ‘All right, I’m just gonna go (home).’”
Upshaw, along with other fans who talked to the AJC (and many more who addressed the issues online), said Truist Park employees told them that last-minute staging and production changes to Brown’s show altered previously purchased floor seating.
A Truist Park employee familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter gave a similar explanation, noting Brown’s reconfiguration changes were made well after all the tickets were sold.
Brown’s Instagram statement on Wednesday didn’t mention staging issues.
“Some cities ran smooth,” his post said. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in these venues. Appreciate y’all concern. Unfortunately, I’m not in charge of all that. Other than that, my s--- 🔥.”
The Grammy winner went on to explain that his meet and greets for some shows were canceled because of a security issue or “so I don’t burn myself out.”
Truist Park didn’t immediately respond to the AJC’s request for a response to Brown’s statement. Neither the venue, Live Nation nor Ticketmaster provided an official comment regarding the ticket issues when reached by the AJC.
Brown will return to Atlanta for another show as part of his Breezy Bowl tour on Oct. 3 at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
