- Wednesday, April 30, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Bollywood playback singer Neha Kakkar has landed in hot water following her controversial appearance at a Melbourne concert held in March 2025. The singer, known for chartbusters like Coca Cola, Garmi, and Badri Ki Dulhaniya, reportedly arrived over three hours late for the show and broke down on stage after being booed by frustrated fans.
However, in the days that followed, the narrative took a dramatic turn as the event organizers accused her of lying and refusing to perform due to a low turnout.
The event was part of a two-city tour organized by Pace D and Bikram Singh Randhawa in Australia. According to them, Neha Kakkar performed successfully in Sydney the day before the Melbourne show, with a crowd of around 1,500–2,000 attendees. However, the turnout in Melbourne was significantly lower, with only 700 people reportedly in attendance. Organizers claim this prompted Kakkar to initially refuse to go on stage, demanding that the venue be filled before she would perform.
Speaking to interviewer Siddharth Kannan, organizers alleged that the singer said, “There are just 700 people, so until you fill up the stadium, I won’t perform.” They also stated that audience members, who had paid nearly $192, were left waiting for hours and grew increasingly angry.
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The incident escalated when Neha later shared a lengthy note on Instagram, claiming that she performed in Melbourne “for free” after the organizers allegedly fled with her payment. She also alleged that her team was not provided with basic necessities like food, water, or hotel accommodation. Additionally, she claimed the sound check was delayed because the sound engineers had not been paid by the organizers.
Refuting her version of events, Pace D and Bikram Singh Randhawa insisted that Neha had been fully paid in advance—a common practice for performances in Australia. “Even before the artist flies to Australia, they are paid 100 percent,” they said. They further questioned her claims about accommodation, stating that she had been travelling in a luxury G Wagon and that hotel arrangements were in place. “Where was she staying if there was no hotel?” they asked.
The organizers also disputed her claims about sound check issues, pointing out that opening acts had already performed using the same setup. They maintained that everything was properly arranged and accused Neha of fabricating details to shift the blame.
Financially, the organizers claimed to have incurred a massive loss of around 500,000 AUD due to the low turnout and subsequent backlash.
While Neha Kakkar’s emotional response and accusations drew sympathy from some fans, many others criticised her for unprofessional conduct and her alleged refusal to perform for a smaller audience. The controversy continues to spark debate online, as both sides stand firm on their narratives.
