Ann-Marie holds a free concert after Korean festival got canceled

British singer and songwriter Anne-Marie held an impromptu concert after a festival stage she was scheduled to perform on was canceled.

Anne-Marie was due to perform at the Holiday Land Festival held on Sunday at an outdoor stage at Paradise City in Incheon. But Fake Virgin, organizer of the festival, told the audience that the performance of Daniel Caesar and Anne-Marie has been canceled at the request of the musicians on account of rain. Anne-Marie immediately took to her social network and said it was not her who canceled the performance and the organizer demanded that she sign a form that requires her to take responsibility of any fatal accidents if she wants to take the stage. A few hours later, the British singer wrote on her social network that she is going to stage a free show at the Rubik Lounge at the same hotel at 11:30 p.m.

Her performance was streamed live on her social network for her fans who have already gone home. Some 600 fans, who came to her surprise concert, expressed their love for the artist by singing along with her and flying paper planes onto the stage. The hotel reportedly provided the venue free of charge at the request of Anne-Marie, who said she really wants to perform for her fans.

Earlier on Saturday, American singer and songwriter H.E.R., who was also scheduled to perform at the festival, canceled her appearance at the show, prompting criticism of the organizer’s mismanagement of the event. “It is unusual for an organizer to shift responsibility to an artist in case of an accident,” an organizer said.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com