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Anita Baker concertgoers upset that Atlanta concert was canceled at the last minute

The reason why is still unknown.
Credit: AP
Anita Baker performs during the Essence Music Festival at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

ATLANTA — A concert featuring eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist Anitka Baker in Atlanta on Saturday night was canceled at the last minute due to "unforeseen circumstances," according to officials with Live Nation.

"An Evening with Anita Baker" was set to begin at 7 p.m. at State Farm Arena but was canceled shortly beforehand. The reason why is still unknown.

Concertgoers will be refunded for the cost of their tickets, officials said. It's unclear if the concert will be rescheduled.

Unhappy customers

One concertgoer posted on X, saying: "Soooo Mom’s Mother’s Day Present was tickets to the Anita Baker concert tonight, and after making us stand there for over 30 minutes after doors were supposed to open they just CANCELLED the concert outright.  I feel bad for the arena staff tho bc people are NOT happy."

After Baker's concert last year moved Tiffany Castillo to tears, she said she was looking forward to this year's concert as a Mother's Day Gift for her mother-in-law. Castillo said she found out the concert was canceled when she had already paid for parking. She even spent extra money to get floor seats. Castillo said said the cancellation should have come earlier. 

"It would have been definitely been better to know prior to leaving the house that the concert would be canceled or if there was the possibility that it might be canceled," Castillo said. "We would not have gone through the trouble of her traveling. Fortunately, Atlanta United had a game going on tonight. We managed to grab last minute tickets, not front row, but behind the home bench. We had a great time. It wasn’t a win, but those games are super fun.”

Another person posted on social media saying: "Anita Baker’s show in Atlanta just got canceled and the Aunties out here are not happy.  It’s me. I’m the Aunties."

One other post on social media said: "Girl not Anita Baker cancelled on Atlanta and they saying she not even in the STATE"

Christina Johnson bought tickets to the concert for her and her mother for Mother's Day. She said her mother was a lifelong Anita Baker fan and bought tickets the day they went on sale back in March. Johnson said she was one of the first fans in line, but she found out the concert was canceled when someone came outside State Farm Arena just before 6:40 p.m. and told them there wouldn't be a concert Saturday night.

"It’s not how I envisioned my mother’s day gift going to my mom," Johnson said. "You didn’t want to walk away, because surely it wasn’t canceled. So it was shock at first and then disappointment. I was sad because this was supposed to be my mom’s Mother’s Day present.” 

This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.

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