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Fans complain after Fugees set cut short at Lauryn Hill’s Diaspora Calling! festival: “The ending was ridiculous and spoiled the whole experience”
Fans criticised the abrupt end to a Fugees reunion set at Lauryn Hill's Diaspora Calling! festival at Milton Keynes National Bowl, after Hill and Wyclef Jean's performance was cut off due to venue licensing restrictions. The pair took to the stage at 10pm BST alongside guests including Erykah Badu and Giggs, but their microphones were switched off before 11pm and a message on screen informed the crowd the show had to end because of a legal curfew, leaving planned guest appearances unfulfilled.
The Friday (7 August) show, also featuring Hill's sons YG and Zion Marley, had been billed to run for two hours with additional appearances from Tiwa Savage, Gunna and Little Simz, none of whom made it on stage. Wyclef Jean told The Sun the pair were "really sad" about the ending and hoped to return next year, while fans took to social media and Reddit to complain of disorganisation, poor sound quality and a set they felt was too short for what was meant to mark the 30th anniversary of The Score.
In short
- Fugees' reunion set cut short by an 11pm licensing curfew at Milton Keynes.
- Guests Tiwa Savage, Gunna and Little Simz never performed as planned.
- Fans slammed the show as disorganised; Wyclef Jean hopes to return next year.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Festival organisers bore responsibility for failing to deliver what they promised. The event was advertised as a two-hour show with specific guest artists, and none of that materialised. Knowing about the venue's curfew, organisers should have structured the performance to provide the advertised experience within that constraint, rather than overbooking commitments and disappointing paying customers.
The case against
Venue licensing curfews are legal requirements set by local authorities and cannot be circumvented, however significant an event may be. Organisers and artists must plan performances to fit within these non-negotiable constraints, and if they overcommit and run over, that represents a failure of planning rather than an unjust restriction. Venues cannot breach their licensing conditions for individual events.
Explained simply
The Fugees are a hip-hop group made up of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel. Their 1996 album The Score brought them international success, while Hill later became known for her solo music. The group has reunited for performances at different times since its members first went their separate ways.
Diaspora Calling! is a festival organised by Hill at Milton Keynes National Bowl, an outdoor venue in England. The event brought together artists from different musical backgrounds, and the Fugees’ set was billed as marking 30 years since The Score. Concerts at large venues must follow licensing rules, which can set a time by which live music has to stop.