Country music artist Ella Langley canceled a sold-out performance at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday night after citing a serious security threat. The 27-year-old musician announced the decision on Instagram just two hours before the event, stating that the potential danger jeopardized the safety of her team, venue staff, and fans. The singer made what she called the “incredibly difficult” decision around two hours before the show at the 19,000-seater arena was due to start on Friday night.
Captain Richard Meulenberg of the Tulsa Police Department reported that a caller had threatened to cause great harm at the arena, specifically mentioning the potential for bombs and gunfire. Despite the alarming nature of the call, law enforcement officials conducted multiple sweeps of the venue, including utilizing sniffer dogs, and found no evidence of a credible threat. Meulenberg noted that the facility was fully prepared to host the concert, emphasizing that the individual responsible for the call successfully disrupted the event for thousands of ticket holders.
In a statement regarding the cancellation, the BOK Center noted that the wellbeing of all participants remained their primary concern. The venue management apologized to attendees for the disappointment caused by the abrupt change in plans. Langley also expressed her regret to fans and described the decision to pull the show as incredibly difficult.
While no specific details regarding the origin of the threat were released, the singer confirmed that information concerning ticket refunds would be shared as soon as possible. The singer, who hails from Alabama, has seen a surge in career momentum recently; in September, her hit song Choosin’ Texas surpassed Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You to set a new record as the longest-running number one single in US chart history. This milestone followed her significant success at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May.
