Canadian superstar The Weeknd received rave reviews for his concert in downtown Vancouver this week – despite complaints the venue was “hot as hell” without air conditioning.
A number of spectators raised their concerns about the heat on social media, some of whom said they eventually left the Tuesday night show early to escape the humid conditions.
Others credited The Weeknd for his ability to perform in the heat.
“I honestly don’t know how he made a show as good as he did,” wrote one Reddit user. “I was dying just standing there.”
Several attendees asked why the retractable roof at BC Place remained closed throughout the show. The venue tweeted that it remained closed “due to the production of the show”, which saw a huge prop moon hanging above the crowd.
Last month, a mechanical problem forced the roof to remain closed during a BC Lions game, although the issue was resolved days later. Authorities have not reported any further problems since.
A few onlookers said vendors also ran out of chilled water bottles during the show, leaving some fans to pay $5 for room-temperature water.
When the doors opened at 6:30 p.m., temperatures in Vancouver were just above 23 degrees, according to Environment Canada.
The BC Pavilion Corporation, which operates the stadium, did not respond to questions from CTV News about the heat, the decision to keep the venue covered and water availability.
There are free refill stations on the lobby level of BC Place, and spectators are allowed to bring empty water bottles into the venue as long as they don’t exceed one litre, according to the stadium’s website.
The Weeknd performs at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on Wednesday for the next leg of his After Hours Til Dawn tour.
