Singer Ayumi Hamasaki performs in empty Shanghai venue after concert abruptly axed

Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki went ahead with her performance at an empty venue after her concert in Shanghai, China, was abruptly axed.

The 47-year-old Queen of J-pop was scheduled to perform at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre as part of her I Am Ayu Tour on Nov 29. But the concert organiser announced on social media on Nov 28 that the concert was cancelled.

Hamasaki, or Ayu as she is known to her fans, confirmed the cancellation in a post on Instagram Stories later on Nov 28.

“As with previous performances, I worked together with a crew of 200 people day and night, taking five days to finish setting up the Shanghai stage today,” she wrote in English and Japanese. “However, key staff members were hastily gathered in the morning and we received a request to cancel the performance.”

No further details were given for the cancellation. The concert was among several performances by Japanese artistes in China which were called off recently.

The move came in the wake of comments made by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Parliament on Nov 7, in which she said that a military invasion of Taiwan could pose an existential crisis for Japan.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Hamasaki said on Nov 28 she had no intention of commenting on matters she had no knowledge of.

“I just feel deeply sorry that we were unable to allow the approximately 100 Chinese staff members who worked so hard, as well as the other 100 staff members, dancers and band members who crossed the ocean from Japan to make this show happen,” she wrote.

“More than anything, I still cannot believe... that this stage must now be dismantled without even having the opportunity to meet and apologise in person to the 14,000 TAs who had gathered from all over China, Japan and various other countries. I am so sorry.”

TA refers to Team Ayu, her official fan club.

A netizen in Shanghai then posted photos of the venue’s exterior on Nov 28 evening, writing: “Ayumi Hamasaki is holding a concert with no one in attendance. You can still hear her singing from outside the venue even though the show has been cancelled.”

An image purportedly showing her performing at the empty venue circulated online, with the caption: “Ayumi Hamasaki performing alone at an empty concert.”

The singer wrote on Instagram Stories on Nov 29: “After receiving the request to cancel the performance yesterday, we performed from the first song all the way through the encore without an audience before leaving the venue.”

The solo show was reportedly filmed, with the footage likely to be shared to fans at a later time.

Hamasaki also uploaded on Nov 30 nine photos of herself performing with the dancers at an empty venue, including them taking a bow and with confetti flying at the end of the show.

“With 14,000 empty seats but felt so much love of TAs from all over the world, it was one of the most unforgettable shows ever to me,” she wrote in English.

She is scheduled to perform the next show of the tour in Macau on Jan 10, and fans who have bought tickets have shared their concerns online about whether the concert will go ahead.