US singer Ciara headlining tour in New Zealand only sang two songs at Christchurch concert

US singer Ciara has enraged fans by playing for just ten minutes in a show in Christchurch. Will Aussie audiences get the same treatment?

In this image released by Starpix, Ciara poses at the Go Red for Women Red Dress Fashion Show, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, at Lincoln Center in New York. (AP Photo/Starpix, Aurora Rose)

GRAMMY award-winning US R’n’B singer Ciara, who is on a headline tour of New Zealand and Australia, sang just two songs and was on stage for less than 10 minutes at her show in Churchchurch on Wednesday.

Ciara also failed to show up for her $125 ‘Meet and Greet’ tickets for the event at ILAM Fields IELDS at Canterbury University in Christchurch.

Radio New Zealand reported that Ciara was supposed to take the stage at 9.30pm but did not start until just before the noise curfew came into effect at 11pm.

Ticketholders are understandably furious especially after the singer, named Billboard magazine’s Woman of the Year in 2008, tweeted this:

I Am So Happy I Got To See My Fans In New Zealand For The First Time! THANK YOU For Rocking With Me, Despite The Technical Difficulties. ❤️

— Ciara (@ciara) February 18, 2015

The response was not so joyful.

“I idolised her. We waited for hours and she gave us less than 10 minutes of her time,” said cocoshanelx on Instagram.

“She was scheduled to play at 9-9.30 and she came on stage at almost 11, resulting in the 11pm curfew being put in place. It wasn’t technical difficulties like she said, she uploaded the selfie video in her hotel room last night when she was supposed to be on stage. Absolute disappointment.”

Let’s hope she plays for longer in Australia ... American RnB singer Ciara at the Go Red for Women Red Dress Fashion Show, at Lincoln Centre, New York on February 12. Picture: AP / Starpix, Aurora Rose

@ciara lol but u performed for like 8 minutes and didn't even show up to the meet n greet

— the real ja'mie king (@kiaorapania) February 18, 2015

@petzbox she prob should still redo the show. Not fair to paying fans

— truthspeaker (@drtruthspeaker) February 18, 2015

@drtruthspeaker totally or a part refund VIPs missed out on meet n greet I get technical difficulties but there was nothing stopping that

— Petina Coleman (@petzbox) February 18, 2015

@ciara are you sure?! Didn't seem like you did. 5min perfomance? 😔

— Onika's Ghetto Girl (@OnikasBadBitch) February 19, 2015

@drtruthspeaker she went on stage so she wouldn't have to refund as that's classed as performing

— Petina Coleman (@petzbox) February 19, 2015

Matty Peilua, of Australian touring agency Ginnen Group, posted an apology on the event’s Facebook page on Thursday:

“The event team wish to apologise for the events which took place last night, although it was outside of our control we are truly sorry. We, like you, are disappointed that the headline act was unable to perform as we had been assured they would from the booking agent,” Peilua wrote.

“Please be assured that we did everything we could from our end to try [to] make the show still go on. We are not going to blame anyone or any one thing, we will simply say that we are as disappointed as everyone else.”

He said all meet-and-greet ticketholders would receive a full refund and wrote “we are also happy to negotiate part refunds for other ticketholders”.

Ciara is due to play a sold-out show at Alumbra Nightclub, Melbourne, on February 22; The Bank, Townsville, February 25, Arc Nightlife, Fortitude Valley, February 26, Metropolis Fremantle, February 27; Hotel Chambers, Sydney CBD, February 28.; and HQ, Adelaide, on March 4.

Originally published as US singer Ciara headlining tour in New Zealand only sang two songs at Christchurch concert