Rising Trend of Objects Being Thrown at Artists on Stage is Souring the Live Music Experience [Video]

The past few years have been great for artists touring. Whether you enjoyed Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour or Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour, there has been no shortage of musical experiences. However, a disturbing new trend has emerged at concerts: attendees throwing items at celebrities while they’re performing. 

During Sexyy Red’s June 2023 Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash festival set in Chicago, she abruptly walked off the stage after several fans tossed items on the stage. 

Cardi B endured a similar experience the following month while performing in Las Vegas in July 2023. A guest tossed a drink at Cardi, resulting in her throwing a microphone at the individual.

That same month, Drake called out a fan for throwing a vape at him during a concert in Brooklyn.

This behavior is not exclusive to U.S. attendees, which Pharrell Williams learned in March 2024. Much like Sexyy Red, the producer prematurely exited the stage during the F1 Post-Race Show in Saudi Arabia after the crowd refused to stop throwing their light-up wristbands at him while he stood on the stage. More recently, Nicki Minaj also fell victim to this over the weekend when a fan threw a bracelet on stage. Minaj quickly launched the item back into the crowd. 

These instances not only impact the artists but also create a hostile environment for others who turn out to enjoy the show.  As seen in several cases, some artists will leave the stage altogether, which ruins the experience for genuine attendees. Other times, the show is forced to stop to address the situation, which often creates a safety problem. Singer Bebe Rexha was violently hit in the face by a fan who threw their phone at her during a June 2023 Manhattan show. The incident immediately ended the performance and left Rexha bloody and requiring stitches. 

Though there is no sure way to stop these occurrences, they could lead to stricter guidelines for concertgoers, which could see more things being banned in specific venues. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight for the few bad apples looking to go viral.