Carlos Alvarez
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Getty Images for MTV
Last weekend, Nicki Minaj was due to headline DWP Festival in Shanghai, a 90 minute set for which she was told she would receive upwards of $3 million. This would all be fine and dandy, except for the fact that the festival wasn't really what it advertised. Days before, its website suddenly retracted all ties to DWP (Djakarta Warehouse Project), an annual festival in Bali.
“The event rumored to take place in Shanghai on 17th & 18th of November 2018 is an unauthorized use of DWP trademark. DWP as a brand, has no association with the event. The alleged lineup artwork of DWP China, which has been circulating online is unauthorized.”
Nicki reportedly wasn't aware of the festival's fraudulence until after arriving in Shanghai, with her stage all built and ready to go. She refused to perform, and fans, many of whom paid upwards of 3000 yuan, were eventually told to go home after waiting for hours. Before leaving the country, she filmed a brief video promising to return for her real Shanghai fans "with a better partner." Watch that below.
