Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated concert in Colombia’s capital was abruptly canceled Saturday evening, just hours before the show was scheduled to begin at the Vive Claro arena.
The cancellation of the Grand National Tour stop left thousands of fans disappointed after they waited outside the venue for nearly four hours without receiving any updates.
Páramo Presenta, the event organizer, issued a statement on social media citing operational problems as the reason for the postponement.
“We regret to inform you that, due to logistical difficulties from the promoter and the venue, the Grand National Tour performance scheduled for tonight has been postponed. The artist was ready to perform,” the company said in its official statement.
Fans had gathered outside the arena expecting an on-time start for what would have been a rare South American performance by the Compton-born artist.
Many had traveled long distances to see Kendrick Lamar perform songs from his latest album GNX, which features hit tracks “Luther” with SZA, “tv off” and “squabble up.”
The venue doors remained closed well past the scheduled opening time, creating mounting tension among concertgoers who waited without access or information about the show’s status.
Kendrick Lamar was reportedly at the venue and prepared to take the stage when the decision was made to postpone the performance.
Organizers attempted to address fan frustrations by confirming automatic refunds for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster.
“We understand the frustration this situation has caused,” the statement continued. “Live Nation, Ocesa, and Páramo Presenta apologize to the fans and the artist for the inconvenience.”
Drake’s OVO stans wasted zero time clowning him for it. They swore he flopped on ticket sales, but receipts say otherwise. Turns out, only about 2% of seats were still up for grabs right before showtime.
I agree but Kendrick fans did the same to drake without knowing the actual reasons so of course drake fans are gonna do the same back when given the opportunity
— Vint Lint (@JumpyAA) September 28, 2025
Local councilman José Cuesta Novoa hopped on X and said the whole venue was sketchy from the jump.
“We mentioned this at the Public Audience against noise,” he posted. “This venue has structural and technical failures in its construction. I asked the mayor @carlosfgalan for the immediate closure of this venue.”
So, the venue itself was the real problem. A local outlet reported that city engineers flagged the event space after a safety inspection, especially the aluminum structures used for the stage.
Word is Kendrick Lamar wanted to bring fireworks to the party, but venue bosses refused.
His team confirmed that the show was pushed back due to “stage issues and permit issues,” adding that the stadium didn’t approve the planned pyrotechnics. “The show tonight was close to selling out before the show began,” one source posted.
Kendrick’s now off to São Paulo, Brazil, before moving to European venues later this year.
For now, Colombian fans will have to wait longer to experience what critics have called one of the most compelling live performances in contemporary Hip-Hop.
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