Manchester bomb survivor: Ariana has let me down
£500 ‘meet and greet’ is axed by star
A POP fan who cheated death in the Manchester bombing is heartbroken and out of pocket after Ariana Grande cancelled a meet-and-greet.
Charlotte Gant, 21, paid £530 to spend time with her idol backstage before a gig last night.
But the meeting was axed after Ariana said she had suffered “a handful of panic attacks” and needed to rest her voice.
Then Charlotte was told she would get just £310 back, meaning her ticket and a goodie bag worked out at a whopping £220.
Charlotte has a treasured 2016 selfie with Ariana and hoped meeting her would bring closure after the Manchester Arena horror claimed 22 lives in May 2017.
Ariana returned to the city a fortnight after the attack and led a One Love tribute concert.
Personal trainer Charlotte said: “I wanted to meet Ariana so much, just to say thank you for helping me through a really difficult time.
“I just feel upset and let down to get the email saying not only has it been cancelled, they’re keeping my money. I felt it was part of my healing process and a chance for a bit of closure.”
Ticketmaster told Charlotte by email on September 2: “Dear Ariana Grande VIP fan. We regret to inform you there will not be a ‘Meet and Greet’ at your show. You will receive a partial refund of £310.”
GRUELLING
A full refund was refused because Charlotte received a “premium standing ticket and gift bag”. Charlotte said before last night’s sell- out show at Arena Birmingham: “Tickets cost £120 to stand at the front, so I essentially paid £100 for a small goodie bag.”
Ariana, 26, has cancelled other meet-and-greets on her Sweetener world tour, including dates in London, Glasgow and Sheffield. And after scrapping a similar event in Belgium she had vowed fans would be fully reimbursed.
She told fans in a message: “After a handful of panic attacks, I feel like the wisest decision would be not to do soundcheck party or meet and greet and preserve my energy for the show.
“I don’t want to rush through our time together or seem shaky. I wish I could control these attacks but as anyone with anxiety or depression understands, sometimes you can only operate on its terms and not your own.”
Live Nation said online: “Due to the need to preserve her voice and energy, we regret there will not be a Meet & Greet & Soundcheck party.
“This decision does not come easily. The last thing she’d ever want to do is disappoint fans, but something has to give to allow her to continue giving 100 per cent to her performances.”
The cancellations triggered a social media backlash from fans.
One tweeted: “Know your limits instead of disappointing fans.”
Promoter Live Nation was approached for comment.