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Thousands of concertgoers booed American rap star Travis Scott off the stage at Grand Factory Tersane Istanbul early Monday morning after he appeared around midnight and ended his performance within roughly 20 minutes, according to attendees, capping a night of frustration that began with a five-hour wait and ticket prices that surpassed the country's monthly minimum wage.
The event on the night of May 31, marketed under the "One Night Only" concept at the 2,500-capacity venue in Beyoglu, had been billed as a premium, limited-experience club night. Doors opened at 4 p.m., and the crowd endured approximately five hours of DJ sets before Scott took the stage wearing dark glasses, a hood pulled over his head throughout the appearance. Multiple attendees reported he did not sing and performed in a DJ capacity, much as the acts preceding him had done for hours.
"I was there too, and it was a complete disgrace," one attendee said. "People were so eager and excited to see Travis, but most had no idea they were going to give at least 15,000 lira for a DJ show that would last hours." The attendee said Scott appeared visibly disengaged, repeatedly adjusting the covering on his head. "Is this really Scott?" the person recalled asking. The crowd, they said, left the venue "cursing," with nothing to show for the night but wasted money, time, and broken expectations.
The backlash had roots that predated the performance itself. According to Turkish media reports, general admission tickets were listed at 30,000 lira at face value, with backstage and premium options climbing to 80,000 lira. Even the cheapest ticket exceeded Türkiye's net monthly minimum wage of 28,075 lira, set in Jan. 2026 following a 27% increase, a comparison that circulated widely on social media in the days before the event.
A later fan zone expansion, reportedly added after Scott's team learned of intense local demand, brought a limited number of additional tickets to market at around 20,000 lira. Despite the prices, pre-registration for the 2,500-capacity show drew some 52,000 applicants.
Promoters had described the event not as a traditional concert but as a "club night atmosphere" experience, language that proved central to the post-show anger. Many fans said they had not understood the format when they purchased tickets, and that the gap between what was advertised and what transpired felt like a fundamental breach of trust.
Scott performed neither a scripted setlist nor the high-energy stage production his catalogue and reputation had led audiences to expect.
The show came one night after a Kanye West concert at Ataturk Olympic Stadium on May 30, a vastly larger event with a reported attendance exceeding 120,000, which offered a pointed contrast in both scale and accessibility.
The Istanbul show was Scott's first performance in Türkiye. The rapper, born Jacques Webster in 1991, rose to prominence through collaborations with Kanye West and artists including Kid Cudi and T.I., and cemented his mainstream standing with his 2018 album "Astroworld." His live shows have historically been known for elaborate stage productions and high audience energy.
Scott is also scheduled to perform in Izmir on June 1 at Kalt Izmir, a show organized by Linda Agency, with tickets ranging from approximately $305 to $872. Whether the fallout from Istanbul would affect attendance or the atmosphere at the Izmir event remained an open question as of early Monday.
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