Anita Baker’s Mother’s Day weekend concert in Atlanta was abruptly cancelled minutes before the performance, leaving disappointed fans requesting refunds.
Concertgoers were left scrambling to rearrange their plans as their hopes of seeing the legendary Anita Baker performing live in Atlanta on Saturday night were unexpectedly shattered.
The State Farm Arena performance, which was supposed to begin at 7 pm, was postponed abruptly just a few minutes before the scheduled start time.
This isn’t the first time that Baker’s concerts have caused controversy. During her 2023 Songstress Tour, Baker removed Babyface as her opening act after sparring with his fans on social media.
The “Caught Up in the Rapture” singer declared that she was done with the abuse she claimed to have been subjected to from Babyface’s fans after going on a tweeting rampage.
“After Silently Enduring Cyberbullying/Verbal Abuse & Threats of Violence from the Fan Base of Our Special Guest/Support Act, in the Interest of Personal Safety, I will continue The Songstress Tour alone. Appropriate refunds will be made. Blessings,” Baker wrote alongside a new tour poster that didn’t feature her former Babyface’s name.
For the canceled Mother’s Day Special, event organizers blamed “unforeseen circumstances” just minutes before the event started. They did not detail those circumstances.
“Due to late, unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s ‘An Evening with Anita Baker’ event featuring eight-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Anita Baker set to take place at State Farm Arena has been canceled. Refunds will be returned at the point of purchase,” the venue said in an email.
The concert on Saturday night was scheduled as a special Mother’s Day celebration when it was announced in March.
Frustrated fans complained about the last-minute notice on social media after the cancellation.
“There’s got to be a good reason for Anita Baker to cancel her show tonight 15 minutes before the start of the show. The people are mad. Gotta give auntie the benefit of the doubt,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Soooo Mom’s Mother’s Day Present was tickets to the Anita Baker concert tonight, and after making us stand there for over 30 minutes after doors were supposed to open, they just CANCELLED the concert outright.”
The show was set to start at 7 pm and was canceled at 6:45 pm.
