Indie-pop band Cigarettes After Sex canceled their Bengaluru concert just hours before it was set to take place on January 28, citing “local production issues.” Fans, who had been eagerly waiting for the performance at Bhartiya Mall, were left heartbroken, especially as the band had successfully performed in Delhi-NCR on January 24 and Mumbai on January 25. Bengaluru was the only city where the event was called off.
In a statement posted on their Instagram Story, the band expressed regret over the situation, stating that the technical difficulties were beyond their control. “We’re heartbroken to announce that due to technical difficulties, which were the responsibility of local production at the venue and beyond our control, we’re unable to perform and unfortunately have to cancel tonight’s show in Bengaluru. We’re so incredibly sorry we can’t see you all tonight and truly tried everything we could to make it happen,” they wrote.
The announcement sparked frustration among fans, many of whom had already gathered at the venue. Several took to social media to vent their disappointment, with some questioning why Bengaluru was not prepared to host the event. Others suggested shifting the concert to another city, like Ahmedabad, instead of canceling it entirely. Some also criticized BookMyShow, the ticketing platform, for failing to communicate the cancellation in advance. Fans claimed they received no emails or messages notifying them about the last-minute change.
Despite the setback, the band assured ticket holders that refunds would be processed through BookMyShow. “BookMyShow will reach out to you with information on refunds for the show as well. Love you so much,” they added.
Although fans will get their money back, the disappointment of missing a much-anticipated performance remains. Many had been looking forward to seeing Cigarettes After Sex live for months, making the abrupt cancellation a major letdown.
Alia Bhatt at the Red Sea Film Festival where she spoke about the scale of Alpha Getty Images 
