Adele fans today accused her of 'crocodile tears' as they flew to Las Vegas from all over the world only to find out on the plane or at the airport that she had axed her entire run of shows just 24 hours before it was due to start.
MailOnline has been inundated with emails from people who had already flown into Sin City from across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK and Europe to see the star, who is making $685,000 (£500,000) per gig before merchandising.
Adele announced the decision in a tearful Instagram video, apologising and telling fans: 'I'm so upset and I'm really embarrassed. We've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and Covid. Half my crew and team are [ill] with Covid and still are, and it's been impossible to finish the show'.
Many are questioning her reasons for cancelling, saying they don't believe her claims that Covid and 'delivery delays' would require her to cancel all 24 nights. Several fans said they were worried for her wellbeing, noticing a bruise-like mark on her left wrist in the video.
PR guru Mark Bokawkski told MailOnline the last minute cancellation was a 'disaster' for the singer, saying: 'It's not great for Adele and I think she knows it', adding: 'Her response seemed very authentic. I guess it's down to whether the fans believe her word'.
Fans already in Vegas are demanding she performs anyway, saying they don't care about a glitzy stage and lighting and would be happy to see her 'perform on a park bench'. Some say they will turn up at Caesars Palace at 8pm tonight anyway, in the hope she might be there, although she is understood to be at home in LA.
Thomas Wright flew from South Carolina for the opening night with a friend for the opening night. He told MailOnline that they spent $445 on each ticket, $1,600 on flights and hotel as well as $100 on Covid tests. They also spent $400 each on new outfits.
He said: 'I know I will not be able to get off of work to come back, I know I wouldn't be able to afford to come back. This trip has been a collection of Christmas and birthday gifts plus saving for myself'.
Gillian Rowland-Kain, 32, was already on her flight to Las Vegas from New York with her twin sister when she found out about the cancellation via social media.
'I was furious that Adele waited so last minute to make this call. I recognise it's not a call any artist wants to make but she would've known yesterday that the show wouldn't be ready by tomorrow. Her lack of notice is astounding. I'm angry and frustrated'.
Most coming to the opening shows face losing thousands of dollars on flights and accommodation after the British singer cancelled all 24 shows at the 11th hour claiming half her team has Covid and they 'ran out of time'. Most airlines and Vegas hotels demand 48 hours notice for cancellations, if they allow it at all.
Fans paying between $85 and $12,000 for a ticket - or up to $30,000 on the black market - had already travelled to Las Vegas for the opening gig tonight. If they get tickets for replacement shows, likely to be after Easter, most will be unable to go.
Another fan, Gabriel, flew into Vegas from Quebec, Canada, and found out when they arrived in Nevada. He told MailOnline: 'We lost a large sum of money on plane tickets and hotels to come see her for nothing, pretty unacceptable that a multi-million dollar production team could pull the rug on the people who flew and risked getting Covid to see her because her 'show' wasn't ready. She is known for her voice not for her performances, for all I care I would've just enjoyed her sitting on a bench singing. Absolutely unacceptable, they have not mentioned anything about compensation for the travel expenses we had'.
A British fan called David posted a photo from outside Caesars Palace just after the shows were axed. He tweeted: 'Christmas gift gone pear shaped as my wife and daughter are on the way to meet me in Vegas and unfortunately Adele has had to cancel'.
'I'm gutted': Adele, 33, shocked her fans on Thursday when she revealed in a tearful video that she had been forced to postpone her massively popular upcoming Las Vegas residency due to COVID-19 cases among crew members
Gillian and her twin sister on the plane from New York to Las Vegas, minutes before finding out the show was cancelled. They have been left heartbroken and angry
This family were waiting to board their plane when they found out all the gigs had been axed at the 11th hour
Thomas Wright flew from South Carolina for the opening night with a friend for the opening night. He told MailOnline that they spent $445 on each ticket, $1,600 on flights and hotel as well as $100 on Covid tests. They also spent $400 each on new outfits, and put a brave face on it when arriving in Vegas
Fans highlighted the decision to cancel UK gigs at the last minute in 2017, which would take years to rearrange
This British fan is among many who are already in Vegas only to learn that Adele had cancelled, costing them time and money
Weekends With Adele' was due to run through April in Las Vegas, with all available tickets sold out. In an Instagram post late on Thursday, a visibly upset Adele said in her strong London accent: 'I'm so sorry, but my show ain't ready', saying they 'ran out of time'.
She went on: 'We've tried absolutely everything we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you, but we've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID. Half my crew and team are [ill] with Covid and still are, and it's been impossible to finish the show.
'I'm gutted — I'm sorry it's so last minute, we've been awake for over 30 hours trying to figure it out and we've run out of time,' she continued, as her voice started to break. 'I'm so upset and I'm really embarrassed and so sorry to everyone that traveled to get [to the show]. I'm really, really sorry.'
Adele did not say when the shows would be rescheduled, but there is speculation it could be from April, meaning anyone keeping their tickets will have to rebook all flights and accommodation. But there will be many who will no longer be able to go.
Like Britain and Europe, the US has also suffered an explosion of Omicron cases over the past month. But cases are now starting to slow down nationwide, where quarantine was recently cut to five days. If the Omicron outbreak continues to shrink in America, it will mirror trends seen in South Africa – the first nation to fall victim to the extremely-transmissible variant – and the UK, where experts have accepted it is in retreat.
Fans wished her and her team well but questioned why Adele and her team had only come to that conclusion on the eve of her first show.
One woman accused Adele of 'crocodile tears', pointing out that obtaining refunds for travel and hotels was always complicated, while another posted a picture of a furious emoji, tweeting: 'Not Adele rescheduling after already buying plane tickets, show tickets & getting a hotel room'.
One fan wrote: 'What is wrong with the industry when Adele cancels her upcoming shows in Las Vegas - the day before opening? I'm sure she is devastated but fans already there from many places in the world will be extremely upset. I hope the Adele team comes up with something to appease fans'.
Another person with a ticket said: 'Super bummed that Adele has postponed all of her shows in Las Vegas. I've already spent $1200 between airfare, hotel, and the concert tickets. Not to mention vacation time from work'.
The price tag for the Weekends With Adele at Caesars Palace's Colosseum starts at £700 and ranges to £9,000 plus for the best seats in the house.
Adele, already worth an estimated $220million, was due to have access to Caesars $50,000-a-night private suite throughout her residency, which comes with a butler, executive assistant, chauffeur and security. A source said: 'She is expected to make over £500,000 per gig thanks to ticket sales alone, even before the merchandising. Caesars has rolled out the red carpet to ensure she's treated like the superstar she is'.
It is not clear why a 14-day COVID outbreak would postpone a multimillion-dollar show for months.
In November, she told Rolling Stone that she would not go on tour because she was worried about the logistics during the pandemic.
'It's too unpredictable, with all the rules and stuff,' she said. 'I don't want anyone coming to my show scared. And I don't want to get COVID, either.'
Fans of the 33-year-old singer had shelled out up to $30,000 for resale tickets for the eagerly-anticipated show - her first live concert in five years.
In a video posted to Twitter, Adele sobbed as she said that COVID-19 cases among members of her crew had made it impossible to bring the show to life in time.
Adding to her woes were delivery delays that made it 'impossible to finish the show.'
She added that she had been awake for 'over 30 hours' trying to solve logistical issues but had simply 'run out of time' to be ready on Friday.
Many were sympathetic, but plenty were frustrated.
'This breaks my heart, for you and for me,' tweeted Amy Campbell, a medical professional in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
'I know how hard it is to put on a show, especially with a pandemic. But it's also hard to save enough money, to get time off work from a hospital, that is short staffed, book a flight and hotel, fly in two days early and find out 30 hrs before the show, when we are already here, that the reason we came for is not going to happen.
'The people with first weekend show tickets may not be able to afford the time or money to reschedule something like this.'
A British man noted: 'Unbelievable. What a disgrace. I thought the yanks had their house in order. Rona or no rona, the show must go on.'
'So disappointed!' said another woman.
'My husband got me tickets for Christmas and we were looking forward to it so bad! I guess we'll have to wait until Avril Lavigne announces a tour since we're also huge fans of her.'
The Can I Get It singer pledged to reschedule the canceled shows - but gave no indication of when that could be.
She added: 'We're going to reschedule all of the dates, we're on it right now, and I'm gonna finish my show and get it to where it's supposed to be. So I'm so sorry it isn't possible. We've been up against so much and it just ain't ready. I'm really sorry.'
The team had implemented intense COVID protocols.
The production required ticket-holders to show proof of COVID vaccination, and also display a negative-COVID test within 48 hours of the show.
A rapid-test station was being set up Thursday afternoon at the former Rao's Restaurant space, and another across the Strip at the Flamingo, to handle the influx of those needed on-site testing.
A choir of 60 singers, all hired in Las Vegas, had passed auditions on January 5 to participate in a 'Skyfall' opening number, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal. The original call was for 100 singers, but only 60 could show up.
Hospitalizations in Clark County, Nevada - which encompasses Las Vegas - are approaching the record for the pandemic, with 1,872 people hospitalized statewide as of January 18.
The record was set December 13, 2020, with 2,025 patients.
The test positivity rate is 37 percent, compared to a seven-day average of 18.95 percent in New York City, which has passed the Omicron peak.
Her dramatic decision came as other performers felled by COVID, such as Hugh Jackman, swiftly rescheduled their performances and were back on stage in New York within weeks. He resumed Broadway performances on January 6, having tested positive for COVID on December 28.
Adele announced on Thursday that she was cancelling all 24 of her Vegas shows
Workers inside the Colosseum are seen on Thursday as the news broke
A worker is seen inside the Colosseum on Thursday, as Adele's shows were cancelled
Staffers are seen leaving the venue on Thursday, after Adele's shows were called off
