Iggy Azalea Reveals Reason Why Her Saudi Arabia Show Was Cut Short

Iggy Azalea has revealed that she “wasn’t allowed” to finish a live performance in Saudi Arabia. The set occurred on August 25 in the country’s capital city of Riyadh and was part of Gamers8, an esports event. The rapper claimed in a now-deleted post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that a wardrobe malfunction and a comment in favor of women’s rights were the reasons for her concert being cut short.

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“Ladies, make some noise. It’s a woman’s world!” Azalea said during the show, according to Billboard. After she left the stage, she then turned to social media to further address the situation.

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“Saudi Arabia please know to everyone at the show tonight… I LOVE YOU. And I’m soooooo sorry I wasn’t allowed to finish my show,” Azalea tweeted. “It’s not the promoter who put on the show’s fault so show them kindness because they are amazing people and we all wanted to continue but were not allowed by authorities because of my pants splitting.”

Fan video showed the left leg of Azalea’s pants ripping mid-song. “They really wouldn’t let you just change pants?” a fan asked online following her initial post.

“I did but I also said ‘Ladies make some noise, it’s a woman’s world!’ And apparently that sent the authorities over the edge,” Azalea wrote in a response. “I’m cool I just didn’t want the fans to be sad or angry at the show organizers cause it wasn’t their control or mine it was the police at the side of stage.”

When Azalea knelt onstage, part of her bare leg was visible after her pants partially split. According to Saudi Arabia’s immigration website, women are expected to “cover as much flesh as possible to avoid drawing unwelcome attention.” 

One fan online addressed Azeala, stating that they still had a good experience at the rapper’s show, despite its abrupt ending. “Hey Iggy! As Saudi Fans we Just wanted to say how much we Loved & enjoyed your concert!” the post reads.”Your energy was Amazing and even though that unfortunate incident happened, it didn’t dampen our spirits.

“Your performance was incredible, and we’re already looking forward to your next tour in Riyadh!” the comment concluded.”

Azalea’s latest music video for her single “Money Come” dropped on Friday.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images