Sir Elton John angers fans after ‘flying off in helicopter’ as they sit in traffic
Elton John has called the Russian president a hypocrite (Getty Images)
Sir Elton John faces criticism after leaving concert via helicopter when fans were stuck in hours of standstill traffic.
Dozens of fans heading to see the singer at the Westpoint Arena in Exeter had to turn around and miss the show completely, while others abandoned their cars and walked to the venue.
Fans later expressed their outrage online, saying the event’s organisers were “disorganised and chaotic.”
Some were also particularly upset that Sir Elton, after he chose to fly over the miles of traffic that continued after the show.
Westpoint issued a statement saying the traffic was due to adverse weather and “exacerbated by unforeseen difficulties on the M5.”
However, a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police claimed that the build up was partly due the performance being rescheduled at the last minute – a fact they say they were unaware of.
Sir Elton expressed sympathy for the fans that missed the concert completely, with his spokesperson adding that he “hopes that the show, which started at the scheduled time, managed to make-up for any problems some people might have had getting there and thanks the audience for their patience and understanding.”
Despite his apology, this is not the first time Sir Elton has come under fire for the traffic at his shows as well as his aerial exits.
Earlier this month, fans were stuck in the Lincolnshire Showground carpark for two hours following the sold out show, while the singer made an easy exit on his helicopter.
Both concerts hailed massive crowds, some of the biggest each town has seen for a single music event.
Customers seeking a refund should contact the box office they purchased their tickets through.
Sir Elton was embarrassed last year when he fell for a hoax orchestrated by two Russian TV pranksters – who called him pretending to be Putin.
Following the public fallout from the prank, Kremlin officials later confirmed the real President Putin would indeed be willing to meet with Sir Elton – who has an extremely large Russian following.
