Neha Kakkar booed in Melbourne after 3-hour delay, breaks down on stage

Singer Neha Kakkar faced audience backlash after arriving three hours late to her Melbourne concert, leading to an emotional on-stage apology

Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar found herself at the centre of controversy after reportedly arriving three hours late for her concert in Melbourne, Australia. Viral videos captured the emotional moment when Kakkar, overwhelmed by the backlash, broke down in tears while apologising to the disappointed audience.

 

What led to the controversy?

 

The incident occurred during Kakkar’s much-anticipated Melbourne concert, following a successful show in Sydney the previous night. As the singer finally took the stage after the prolonged delay, frustrated fans expressed their anger, with some booing and others shouting, “Go back!”  The disappointment was evident as the crowd’s patience wore thin. 

 

Neha Kakkar's best content isn’t the songs she sings but the tears she sheds so effortlessly. BC live concert me rokar dikha di ???? pic.twitter.com/h7Ea5eAI9O

— Meme Farmer (@craziestlazy) March 25, 2025

 

  Acknowledging the unrest, the 36-year-old singer addressed the audience, attempting to explain the reasons behind the unexpected delay.

 

Struggling to hold back tears, she said, “You have been really sweet and patient. Itni der se aap log wait kar rahe ho [You have been waiting for so long]. I hate it. Maine life mein kabhi kisi ko wait nahi karwaya [I’ve never made anyone wait in my entire life].”

 

She added, “Aap itne der se wait kar rahe ho [You have been waiting for so long]. I’m so sorry. You mean the world to me. Aap log itne sweet ho [You people are so sweet]. I was worried about what would happen. It means a lot to me. I’ll always remember this evening forever. But I’ll make sure, aap log jo mere liye itna keemati time nikaal ke aaye ho [that you have taken out your precious time for me], I will make you all dance.”   ALSO READ | Aamir Khan or Rick Yune: Who is the mystery man in the L2 Empuraan poster?

 

How fans reacted to Neha’s apology

 

While some fans softened after Kakkar’s emotional speech, many remained frustrated and critical. Some attendees heckled her, saying, “This isn’t India, you’re in Australia. Go back and take a rest. We waited for over two hours. Very good acting. Yeh Indian Idol nahi hai [This isn’t Indian Idol].”

 

On social media, backlash against the singer intensified. One disgruntled attendee posted a photo from the concert with the caption, “Came up the stage at 10 pm for a 7:30 show. Then doing drama of crying… Wrapped up in less than an hour. Such a crap concert… Heights of unprofessionalism.”

 

Another user wrote, “Three hours late???? That’s so unprofessional. The least she can do is refund.”

 

Others compared her emotional moment to reality TV antics, saying, “First she used to do this in TV shows, now she’s doing it on concert stages too.”  ALSO READ | Rapper Travis Scott to debut in India with 'Circus Maximus World Tour'

 

Tony Kakkar steps in to defend his sister

 

Amid the growing criticism, Neha’s brother, singer and composer Tony Kakkar, came to her defence. In an Instagram post, he hinted that logistical failures by event organisers were responsible for the delay rather than Neha herself.

 

“Suppose I invite you to my city for an event and take full responsibility for all arrangements—booking your hotel, car, airport pickup, and tickets. Now, imagine you arrive only to find that nothing has been booked. No car at the airport, no hotel reservation, and no tickets. In that situation, who is to blame?” he wrote.

 

Although Tony didn’t directly call out anyone, fans quickly connected the dots, speculating that he was blaming the event organisers for the chaos.

 

Following Tony’s statement, several fans came forward to support Neha, shifting the blame toward the event management team. One fan commented, “Yeh toh galat baat hai… Event management ko dhyan rakhna chahiye! [This is absolutely wrong… The event management team should have been careful]. This insults the artist!”

 

Another added, “Finally, the truth is out. It wasn’t Neha’s fault after all.”