BBCA visually impaired Beyoncé fan said she was treated in a “dehumanising” way after being asked to give up her cane to access the VIP area at the pop star’s concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month.
Esther Obigbesan, who spent £489 on a standing VIP ticket, said staff told her she was a “health and safety risk”.
Ms Obigbesan told BBC Radio London’s Eddie Nestor she contacted the providers of the VIP package ahead of the 10 June show to flag her access needs but received no response.
A Tottenham Hotspurs spokesperson apologised, refunded her ticket, and said the experience “fell far short” of its standards.
When she arrived at the stadium, she said stewards initially helped her to the VIP check-in point, where she received her wristband and merchandise.
But when she reached the pitch area, security staff stopped her.
“They just automatically started talking to the ladies that were with me being like, ‘she can’t go down there, she can’t go down there’,” she said.
ReutersShe said she tried to explain that her long cane was a visual aid and did not affect her mobility, as the staff told her walking aids were not allowed in standing sections.
“In the end, I gave up my cane to the medic team and then they let me go down,” she said. “It was more my confidence and my independence… it felt dehumanising.”
Ms Obigbesan said she later asked a security guard to help her find the toilet, but overheard staff discussing her while inside the cubicle.
“When I came out, they’d contacted the safety officer who was trying to relocate me,” she said. “They were saying it’s not safe for me down there because people won’t know I’m visually impaired – I said I could have my cane back.”
She was eventually moved to a seated area two levels above where she had originally been placed.
“It’s a three-hour show but I barely remember any of it because I was crying so much,” she said.
Ms Obigbesan said that while there may have been failure in communication between the ticket sellers and the stadium staff, people with disabilities should not need to warn venues to meet basic needs.
In a statement, Tottenham Hotspur said: “We accept this was not reflective of the VIP package Esther had purchased via the promoter and that her overall experience did not meet the standards we consider acceptable as a venue.”
The stadium said its access team acted “in the interests of Esther’s safety” on the night, but acknowledged the situation “fell far short of the experience” expected.
Leigh Luke, customer services operations manager at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, told the BBC the club had since improved steward training, reviewed briefings, and updated ticket holder communications.
He said the club had apologised to Ms Obigbesan, refunded her ticket, and invited her to a Kendrick Lamar concert on Wednesday as a guest.
“It’s not about seeing the disability aid or the visual aid,” he said. “It’s about seeing the patron… and ensuring that we communicate with them, and not through them, which is what happened in this place.”
