A Bryan Adams concert was cancelled in Australia on Sunday after a “large” fatberg caused a public health scare. The rock star, 65, had been due to perform at the RAC Arena in Perth as part of his tour of the country. But on Sunday evening, the city’s water corporation said that a large sewer blockage caused by “fat, grease and rags” had caused wastewater overflows at nearby properties. Authorities subsequently raised concerns that the sewage may back up the venue’s toilets.
In a late night update posted on Facebook, the Water Corporation urged people to avoid contact with “pooled water” in Wellington Street, which runs alongside the venue. “As a priority, Water Corporation crews are working to clear the large blockage of fat, grease and rags, which has caused several wastewater overflows at properties along Wellington Street,” the alert said. Photos posted on social media showed large crowds queuing for hours outside the venue, with many complaining that they had been left waiting for an update.
Frontier Touring, the concert’s promoter, said all attendees would receive an automatic refund. “Last night’s concert could not proceed due to an external Perth Water Corporation issue, which was unable to be fixed in time. The issue, which impacted all of Wellington Street, meant that it was deemed unsafe for patrons to enter RAC Arena. “The cancellation of (the) show is bitterly disappointing, and we thank fans for their understanding that while every effort was made for the show to proceed, this matter was outside of the control of Bryan Adams, Frontier Touring and RAC Arena.”.