RIYADH — The Riyadh Season announced on Wednesday that the mega musical event, featuring the Korean band Stray Kids and the performance of artist Chungha, has been canceled due to inclement weather conditions in Riyadh over the past few days. In an official statement posted on its Twitter account, the Riyadh Season sources said that the tickets for the event would be refunded automatically to the wallets of the customers through the ticket purchase platform. Tickets for the concert were completely sold out well before the day of the event. "The 2021 Riyadh Season Chungha and Stray Kids Show on Jan. 14 were regrettably canceled due to a sandstorm and extreme weather conditions. Your safety is always our priority," the statement said. Those who have inquiries about the event may contact the unified number: 8002444010, or via the designated e-mail Ehtemam@RiyadhSeason.sa, the statement said, while adding that the best K-pop shows will be held in future as part of the Season's keenness to present the best shows to fans of Korean groups. It is noteworthy that a sandstorm followed by heavy rain had resulted in halting many outdoor events at Riyadh Season 2 last Friday for public safety. Turkey Al-Sheikh, CEO of the General Entertainment Authority and chairman of the Riyadh Season, tweeted that due to the weather conditions, Riyadh events had to be postponed, including the Stray Kids and Chungha concert. Famous Korean singer Kim Chungha was among the performers of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids. The band, which also consists of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N, has wide popularity in South Korea and overseas alike. It is considered as one of the biggest bands of the fourth generation in K pop. Their second album Noeasy achieved a huge milestone with the sale of over 1.22 million copies. Saudi Arabia held concert of a South Korean band for the first time in Riyadh Season 1 in October 2019, when it hosted the popular boy band BTS at King Fahd International Stadium. In a joyous atmosphere the Korean band were thunderously welcomed by the crowd, who were left rapturous after a swinging performance. BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, was the most streamed K-pop band in Saudi Arabia.
