The Kid Laroi opens up about abrupt cancellation of Melbourne show two years ago

At his Rod Laver Arena concert on Saturday night, Aussie rap star The Kid Laroi expressed remorse and regret to his fans over the Melbourne incident, thanking them for trusting him again.

Australian rap star The Kid Laroi is still haunted by his abruptly cancelled show in Melbourne two years ago.

But the ‘Stay’ chart-topper expressed remorse and regret over the “really embarrassing” episode at his Rod Laver Arena concert on Saturday night.

“I want to say, coming back to Melbourne, and doing two nights, I was a little bit scared,” The Kid Laroi said: “I didn’t know if people were going to trust me anymore. But obviously that wasn’t true. I have the greatest supporters of all time.”

The Kid Laroi at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Picture: Nui Te Koha

In June 2022, The Kid Laroi, born Charlton Howard, spiked a show 35 minutes after he was due to appear on stage at Rod Laver Arena.

He postponed two Melbourne shows and a Brisbane concert, citing “illness.”

But the scrapped Melbourne show followed an unannounced performance at 170 Russell, formerly Billboard, the night before, then claims he was too hungover to perform the next night.

“That was really embarrassing,” The Kid Laroi said on Saturday. “I still, sometimes, before I go to sleep at night, I’m like, ‘Oh f---, remember what happened in Melbourne that last time?’

“So I want to say thank you for coming back, thank you for trusting me, thank you for loving me. I know a lot of you guys work really hard. Taking time out of your day, and paying for tickets ... spending your hard-earned money to come to this concert. That doesn’t go unnoticed, and I really do appreciate it.”

The Kid Laroi’s Saturday show, the second of a two-night run in Melbourne, was the last show of a world tour supporting his latest album, The First Time.

The Kid Laroi’s Melbourne show was the last of his world tour. Picture: Frazer Harrison

The tour opened in Europe in April, and trekked across North America from May to July.

“This is the last show of the tour,” The Kid Laroi said on Saturday. “I honestly wouldn’t want to end the tour anywhere else.”

He said Melbourne is “slowly becoming one of my favourites cities ever,” and added: “You guys have incredible food, and even better coffee. Your coffee is amazing.”

The Kid Laroi rose from humble beginnings, growing up in Redfern, Sydney, to global pop stardom with hits including Stay, with Justin Bieber, and Without You, with Miley Cyrus.

Other hits include Bleed, Too Much and So Done.

The Kid Laroi performed his signature songs on Saturday, and also paid tribute to his mentor, the late US rapper Juice Wrld.

“Life is extremely precious, life can be extremely short, and you never ever know when your last day with somebody is,” he said. “Keep loving. Love one another because I promise you, you’re not going to regret it. It feels good.”