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Jay-Z’s final New York concert on his three-night run at Yankee Stadium was delayed by more than four hours on Sunday after hundreds of people without tickets attempted to force their way into the venue, prompting organisers to tighten security before allowing the show to proceed.
Concert promoter Live Nation said the disruption occurred when large groups of ticketless individuals overwhelmed entry points, creating safety concerns for legitimate ticket holders and forcing security officials to temporarily shut all stadium entrances.
A representative of Live Nation said the decision was taken to protect everyone at the venue.
“Hundreds of individuals in large groups who did not have tickets to tonight’s performance stormed over peaceful ticket holders, and in some cases, breached security.”
The representative added:
“Gates at all entrances of the Stadium were closed for an extended period of time” before they were “reopened cautiously and carefully to ensure the safety of those inside and outside.”
The concert had originally been scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. local time, but the security breach left hundreds of genuine ticket holders stranded outside the stadium for hours as officials worked to restore order.
Once the situation was brought under control, security personnel gradually admitted fans in small groups. Jay-Z eventually took to the stage at about 12:15 a.m. on Monday, more than four hours behind schedule.
Before beginning his performance, the American rap icon briefly addressed the crowd and explained the reason for the delay before continuing with the concert.
The performance marked the final show of Jay-Z’s three-night concert series at Yankee Stadium and his first major solo concert run since 2017.
Despite the lengthy delay, more than 40,000 fans remained at the venue and witnessed the performance after security officials successfully resolved the situation.
