At least she tried to do a good thing. Ariana Grande returned to Manchester for Manchester Pride two years after a horrifying bombing killed 22 people at one of her concerts in the same city. Sadly, due to issues like overcrowding and miscommunication, the return was met with heavy fan criticism.

The 26-year-old pop singer’s set was very short, which already set off some critics. Then, entry to the show was stopped at 7 p.m., which was reportedly not made clear on fan tickets and was only announced via a tweet from the event’s official Twitter account. Plus, many fans complained of not being able to get in even though they had tickets.

“Please note that last entry to Manchester Pride Live is at 19:00. All stages have a managed capacity so please arrive early if you want to see a specific artist,” the Manchester Pride account tweeted the same day as Ariana’s performance.

“No mention of last entry being 7 p.m. on tickets despite what staff at gates say. No one who knows anything is available to speak to. This is an absolute joke and I expect a full refund,” one fan wrote on August 25. Another tweeted, “The fact that @ManchesterPride hiked their ticket prices so much because of Ariana and she’s only doing a 30 minute set *and* they’ve suddenly changed the last entry time to 7 p.m. (she’s on at 10:25 p.m.) is another sign of what a gross money-making venture it’s become.” One person tweeted at both the event and singer, “There’s hundreds of paying ticket holders outside you gig tonight unable to get in due to @FGHSECURITYLTD! #ManchesterPride.”

ariana grande at manchester pride
Joel Goodman/LNP/Shutterstock

Ariana, at least, was excited for the show and tweeted to her followers on Sunday, “On our way to Manchester pride. 🖤🖤🖤 Love you so much. Can’t wait to give you all our love. You’re my heart in every way. See you soon.”

During the show, the performer apparently got a little bit emotional with the crowd. “I’m so happy to be with you, so thank you for having me,” she said, according to UK’s Press Association. “Sorry, I’m so nervous. I had so much more to say but I’m really very overwhelmed. So thank you.” She Grande later continued: “Obviously, Manchester holds a very special place in my heart.” Hopefully, this fan criticism doesn’t overshadow what a special event it was for her and other fans.

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