Nicki Minaj cancels headlining gig at SAGA Festival in Romania over 'safety concerns' amid protests

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Nicki Minaj was forced to cancel her headlining performance at SAGA Festival on Sunday night due to a planned protest in Bucharest, Romania.

The Grammy-winning rapper, 41, revealed she made the decision to pull out from performing, at the last minute, due to 'safety concerns.' 

'Out of concern for the well-being of our team and myself, I have been advised by my security detail not to travel to Romania’s festival tonight due to safety concerns regarding protests in the area,' she tweeted, just hours before her set. 'I look forward to seeing you all at another time.' 

She continued: 'As a mom, I have to make sure I’m making sound decisions for me to make it home to my son and for my team to make it home to their families. To not heed the advice of security at this time is simply not what I think I should be doing. I love you and thank you for your understanding and support.' 

SAGA Festival also shared the update with a 'heavy heart' as they called her decision 'beyond' their powers. 

Nicki Minaj was forced to cancel her headlining performance at SAGA Festival on Sunday night due to a planned protest in Bucharest, Romania; seen in March 2024

'The news has left us all devastated, and we know it’s a huge disappointment for all of you, just as it is for us,' the organizers wrote. 

Anyone with an unscanned ticket for the Sunday festival will be able to receive a refund.

Although Minaj did not specify what protest caused the security concern, according to Rolling Stone, there appears to be a 'march in Bucharest' planned for Monday.

The publication cited a post, uploaded by Crisis2, which reads: 'Business groups and taxpayers are demanding improvements to the state’s fiscal policies and processes. Demonstrators will then rally in front of the Ministry of Finance until 13:30.' 

Crisis 24 reports that 'several hundred to low thousands of protesters will take part' and 'the demonstration will likely be peaceful.' 

Minaj will next perform in London at Wireless Festival on Friday.

In May, Minaj was briefly arrested before being fined at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Saturday on allegations that 'soft drugs' were found in her luggage. 

She was traveling from Amsterdam to Manchester for her next Pink Friday 2 Tour show at the time. This led to her show in Manchester getting cancelled at the last moment as a result of her brief detainment.

The Grammy-winning rapper, 41, revealed she made the decision to pull out from performing, at the last minute, due to 'safety concerns'

Despite vehemently denying that she was carrying any drugs, the rapper was told that she needed to go to the police station in footage captured during an Instagram Live.

In the recording, a man explained to her that she 'would get a lawyer at the office' and they would go 'as fast as possible.' 

During the Instagram Live, the Anaconda hitmaker said she was told 'to get into this [police] van and go into the precinct with no lawyer present.'

She further alleged that someone working for airport security requested she made a 'statement with no lawyer present' after finding 'pre-rolls' in 'bags that they were not authorized to take.'

It is currently unclear if she was booked at a police station. 

A spokesperson for the police in the Netherlands confirmed to NBC News that they 'arrested a 41-year-old American woman at Schiphol Airport because of possession of soft drugs.' 

They did not identify Minaj, or anyone else by name, as the person arrested. 

Before the arrest, Minaj shared a series of posts on X (previously known as Twitter), about her bags getting pulled for a thorough search at the airport. 

'They've been trying everything they possibly can to TRY to stop this tour,' she wrote in one tweet, before theorizing that they were trying to 'plant things' in her luggage.

In May, Minaj was briefly arrested before being fined at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Saturday on allegations that 'soft drugs' were found in her luggage; seen in 2023

Additionally, she shared footage on her Instagram of a man telling her that police needed to take a closer look at her luggage. 

In the clip, an airline crew member told her that a 'police officer told' him that they had 'to offload all the luggage and to search everything.' 

'I'm so sorry to say that,' he continued. 

She, then, asked: 'But wasn't that what you planned on doing from the get-go? Why didn't you guys search it before it went on the plane?' 

'They did just a random quick check, but now they want to open it,' he insisted.  

After she asked why, he said: 'First of all, because you filmed him... [and] ... he doesn't believe you that you don't have more with you than you say.' 

'No, he asked me 'Do I have any more in those purses' and I said, 'No,' and I asked him where are my bags,' the rapper said. 'They took my bags and put them on the plane before I could know what bags are on the plane.'

The airline crew member simply said he was 'so sorry for that.' 

'Okay, of course,' she said before the video ended. 

In Minaj's caption, she wrote 'they took my bags before I could see them' then 'put it on the plane.'

'This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they've done is illegal,' she wrote.  

Despite vehemently denying that she was carrying any drugs, the rapper was told that she needed to go to the police station in footage captured during an Instagram Live in May

In the recording, a man explained to her that she 'would get a lawyer at the office' and they would go 'as fast as possible'

Before the alleged arrest, Minaj shared a series of posts on X (previously known as Twitter ), about her bags getting pulled for a thorough search at the airport

'They've been trying everything they possibly can to TRY to stop this tour,' she wrote in one tweet, before theorizing that they were trying to 'plant things' in her luggage

Minaj also tweeted that her 'filming every single thing made' airline employees and police 'mad'

Minaj's went on to claim that she was told that she had five minutes 'to make a statement about' her 'security to the police precinct.' 

Earlier, she had noted on X that 'they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls.' 

'Keep in mind they took my bags without consent. My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him. Oh yea & the pilot wants me to take my ig [Instagram] post down,' she wrote. 

In another X post, she pointed out that marijuana is legal in Amsterdam.