I was kicked out of Pink concert after my son with Down’s Syndrome couldn’t sit still… we were treated like criminals
A MOTHER says she and her young son who has Down’s Syndrome were kicked out of a Pink concert and treated “like criminals”.
Vanessa Vasey, 48, forked out £630 to take seven-year-old Jesse to see the star perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, but the youngster could not stay in his seat.
Mum-of-four Vanessa, from Great Yarmouth, says she specifically chose hospitality tickets which provided lounge access for the event on Saturday, which was part of the P!NK Summer Carnival Tour 2024.
She knew Jesse, who also has other developmental, sensory and neurodivergant needs, would not be able to sit for the length of the concert.
But Vanessa says while they were sitting in the lounge, about 45 minutes before Pink came on, the blinds came down leaving them with “no view of anything”.
The mother claims she was told that it is part of the venue’s deal with promoters to “encourage people into their seats” before the headline act begins.
The mother, her son, and their friend Kirsty decided to stand near the seating area as Jesse danced to the supporting act.
But Vanessa says they were approached by around six security guards who told them to sit down, ultimately being told to comply or leave.
Just as Pink was coming on-stage, four more staff members arrived and escorted them from the premises, leaving the group heartbroken, Vanessa says.
She said: “We were intimidated and by the time we decided to go, there were 10 of them around us – including security guards, people in suits, other employees and they literally escorted us out of the building like criminals.
“All Jesse has now is memories of me crying, being upset and angry and the whole intimidation and people being unkind to us.”
Vanessa said that she did not take Jesse’s disability buggy because the ticket said there was no storage at the venue, and when they got to the lounge area, the blinds had been pulled down.
She added: “We weren’t causing any problems – Jesse is 3ft tall and was entertaining everyone. Then six security guards showed up telling us we had to move.
“When I explained about Jesse’s disabilities, they said there was nothing they could do – we either had to sit in the seats or leave.”
Vanessa said that they were given the offer of sitting in a soundproof sensory room where Jesse would not have heard any of the act.
Jesse is a “massive” Pink fan, and loves her songs Trustful and Try.
After Vanessa posted about her ordeal on Facebook, a spokesperson for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium said: “We are aware of the complaint that has been posted on Facebook, which has not been received directly.
“As a venue that prides itself on providing fully inclusive facilities for all, we are extremely sorry to hear that Jesse did not enjoy a positive experience at Saturday night’s concert.
“Following further investigation, we can confirm that Ms Vasey was offered assistance by our Safeguarding and Welfare teams throughout the night to provide Jesse with a comfortable viewing experience, including access to our dedicated Sensory Room.
“The offers of assistance were declined by Ms Vasey and the party chose to leave the event.
“Although our records show Ms Vasey purchased her tickets through Ticketmaster, we shall contact Ms Vasey directly.
“The safety and security of all event attendees remains our upmost priority.”
They then contacted her directly, and shared their message with The Sun.
Stadium's response to Vanessa
After Vanessa posted about her ordeal on Facebook, the venue wrote to her directly.
They said: “We are extremely sorry to hear that Jesse’s experience was not a positive one and have carried out a full investigation to better understand what happened.
“To provide some context, guests are not permitted to stand in stairways or access ways as this can pose a legitimate safety risk for them and those around them.
“The safety and security of all event attendees remains our utmost priority, and for this reason guests in seated areas are always asked to remain in their seats.
“A secondary problem which may be caused by standing in stairways is that it may obstruct others’ views.
“On this particular evening, we did receive complaints from other guests that your party’s position on the stairway was obstructing their view, and it is for this reason, and the safety reasons outlined above, that the stewarding teams requested that you return to your seats.
“We appreciate that you expressed concerns to event staff that the loud noise of the concert environment would make it difficult for Jesse to remain his seat, which is why our Safeguarding & Welfare team offered to provide access to the stadium’s Sensory Suite.
“This room is a respite area which provides a comfortable and calming experience for guests with sensory impairment conditions, who may use it for either part or all of an event.
“We would like to clarify that there is no obligation for anyone to use the facility, but in this particular case the Safeguarding team wanted to provide the option in case you felt Jesse might benefit from the respite offered.
“Our investigations indicate that this option was declined.
“Regrettably, it would not have been an option to watch the concert from inside the hospitality area as the blinds were required to remain closed for this event, which our event staff endeavoured to explain on the night.
“Please know that all offers of assistance were made with the intention of providing Jesse with as comfortable and enjoyable an experience as possible.
“Although you were not asked to leave the venue at any stage, we understand that you did choose to leave, and we very much regret that you, Jesse and Kirsty were unable to enjoy the evening as intended.”