BANGOR, Maine — Rapper Lil Wayne has apologized to fans after failing to appear at the opening night of his "20 Years of Carter Classics" tour, saying the missed performance in Maine will be rescheduled following a wave of criticism from concertgoers.
In a statement posted to his Instagram Stories on Wednesday, the Grammy-winning artist said: "My Maine fans I'm so sorry. The show is being rescheduled to July 28. Please hold on to your tickets, they will be honored for the rescheduled date. More information will be emailed directly to ticket holders." He added, "I ain't s--t without you. I can't wait to come back and give you the show you deserve."
The apology came a day after Lil Wayne, whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., did not take the stage at Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor despite being billed as the headliner for the opening date of the tour.
Opening act 2 Chainz performed as scheduled, while a DJ continued entertaining the crowd after the supporting set. Concert organizers informed attendees shortly after 11 p.m. that the show was over after Lil Wayne failed to appear for his scheduled performance. No official explanation for his absence was provided at the venue or in the artist's subsequent statement.
The unexpected cancellation prompted frustration from fans, many of whom said they had traveled long distances to attend the concert. Local television station WABI reported that Waterfront Concerts President Alex Gray apologized to the audience, saying the promoter had sought an extension to the city's curfew and had made efforts to keep the performance on schedule. Gray also said it was the first such incident in the company's history of presenting more than 250 shows.
The missed performance also drew criticism on social media, where fans questioned the lack of immediate communication after the concert ended. Wayne's apology was posted nearly a day after the scheduled performance and confirmed that existing tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled July 28 date.
The Bangor concert was scheduled to launch the latest leg of Lil Wayne's "20 Years of Carter Classics" tour, which celebrates music from his long-running "Tha Carter" album series. As of Thursday, no further explanation had been given for the artist's absence, and the remaining tour dates were still scheduled to proceed.
