Local
Atlanta fans demand refunds, apology after Usher and Chris Brown tour opener starts over two hours late
Frustrated concertgoers say Thursday's show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium began around 10 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m., and the two headliners never performed together. A Change.org petition has gathered more than 1,200 signatures seeking refunds or a do-over.
ATLANTA â A crowd of disappointed fans is calling on Usher and Chris Brown to refund tickets or stage another concert after the opening night of their R&B Tour stop at Mercedes-Benz Stadium started more than two hours late and, according to attendees, never delivered the joint performance they paid for.
The show was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, but fans told local reporters the music did not begin until around 10 p.m. For many, the delay was compounded by what they described as a disjointed set in which the two stars never shared the stage or sang together.
âIt was just Chris standing out there by himself, and weâre all like, âWhere is Usher?ââ said Deron Jordan, who attended the concert. âIt just kind of set the tone for the rest of the night. We felt like we were sitting at a rehearsal.â
Fans said they spent hundreds â and in some cases thousands â of dollars on tickets, only to watch the two artists close the show separately. Chris Brown performed the final song solo while suspended in the air, according to attendees.
âAnd weâre all sitting there like, âIs that it?ââ said Rhonda McKenzie, another fan. âThis is my first concert experience that I went through where I really felt gypped. I really thought I did get robbed.â
McKenzie has since launched a Change.org petition asking the artists to either refund Thursdayâs tickets or redo the concert. As of Sunday, the petition had collected more than 1,200 signatures.
Not all fans are seeking money back. Jordan said a simple acknowledgment from the performers would go a long way.
âAn apology would suffice for me,â he said.
The tour returned to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night for its third Atlanta show. Fans arriving ahead of that concert said they were hopeful they would finally see what Thursdayâs crowd says it missed: Usher and Chris Brown performing together. The two artists did share the stage during Sundayâs show, according to reports from the scene.
Neither artist has publicly explained what caused Thursday nightâs delay. Representatives for Usher, Chris Brown, Live Nation and Ticketmaster did not respond to requests for comment as of Sunday night.
Two more shows are scheduled at the stadium for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It remains unclear whether the artists or promoters will address the complaints or offer any compensation to Thursdayâs ticket holders.
The episode highlights the power â and the limits â of fan expectations in a live-music market where ticket prices have climbed sharply and attendees increasingly turn to social media and online petitions to press for accountability when a show falls short.