A fight reportedly broke out at a recent Mariah Carey concert, which is part of her ongoing ‘Christmas Time’ tour.
TMZ reported yesterday (December 8) that in Baltimore, Maryland’s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday (December 7), a physical altercation broke out in the audience that involved 4-5 people – it apparently escalated quickly after a drink was thrown.
The fight reportedly took place during a choir rendition of the encore set, which preluded Carey’s return to the stage to perform ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
Stereogum also reported that this was the second brawl to take place on Carey’s ‘Christmas Time’ tour – it happened at Salem, Massachusetts’ Enterprise Center between two women, and it involved a thrown drink and some male counterparts intervening. See footage from both incidents below.
The ‘Christmas Time’ tour sees Carey celebrating the 30th anniversary of her album ‘Merry Christmas’ and its hit single ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
Last week (December 4), Carey issued a video message to her top fans via Spotify Wrapped – the clip received criticism for fans who believed her likeness was AI-generated. She responded to the comments, tweeting: “Bad lighting and a red lip have you all thinking this is AI??”.
Upon its release on October 29 1994, ‘All I Want For Christmas’ was an instant hit, landing the Number Six spot on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart in the United States and Number Two in the United Kingdom and Japan.
The track annually re-enters charts worldwide in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It has also reached Number One in over 30 countries. The single has also made history for the gap between release and reaching number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom, 25 and 26 years respectively.
‘All I Want For Christmas’ has officially been certified 16× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), claiming its status as the highest-certified single ever by a female artist.
On what the success of the holiday single and album means to her, Carey told NME in 2021: “It means that someone smarter than myself suggested I do a Christmas album as a young, young girl and I was like: ‘Hmmm – doesn’t that happen later in life?’” she said, laughing.
“And then I said, ‘But you know what? I love Christmas!’.”
In other news, a judge has recently said she is inclined to dismiss a copyright lawsuit brought against Carey over ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
