They don't want a refund, they want the concert. Just hours after the cancellation of Bad Bunny's show at the Ippodromo La Maura in Milan, social media was flooded with protests from fans following Live Nation's decision not to reschedule the cancelled date, which had been called off due to the violent thunderstorm that last night forced the evacuation of approximately 80,000 people. The organiser announced full ticket refunds, explaining that "after making every effort to reschedule the event" it was not possible to find a new date, and reiterating that "the safety of all those present has always been the priority." These words sparked hundreds of comments on social media. "A refund is the bare minimum. After all this waiting, the concert should have been rescheduled, perhaps at a suitable venue," wrote one fan. Another comment, among the most widely shared, summed up the discontent: "A refund? No. We want it rescheduled. We have waited over a year for this concert and we deserve to see it in Milan."
But it is above all the reference to safety that has sparked debate. "A safe evacuation? Are you joking? People crowded together running in the downpour, with enormous hailstones. You should thank your lucky stars that nobody got killed," wrote one attendee. Another added: "It was the 80,000 people present who kept their heads and found a way out on their own. There was nobody giving directions." Many have recounted taking shelter wherever they could, among portable toilets, safety barriers and mud, while the hail continued to fall. "People running everywhere, others hiding in portable toilets or under tarpaulins. Safe evacuation, my foot," reads one of the comments.
Criticism has also been directed at the choice of venue. "I hope the Ippodromo is never used again for concerts of this size," wrote one user. And some have drawn comparisons between the Italian organisation and that of other European events: "At Wembley, for Harry Styles, we were escorted all the way to the Underground by stewards and police. Reading what happened in Milan is truly shocking."
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