A visually impaired Beyoncé fan says she was treated in a “dehumanising” way when asked to give up her cane to access the VIP area at the popstar’s concert last month.
Esther Obigbesan told the BBC she contacted the providers of the VIP package ahead of time to inform them of her access needs, but received no response.
On the day of the concert on June 10, Ms Obigbesan said she was helped to the VIP check-in point by stewards, but when she reached the pitch area was stopped by security.
She claimed they attempted to prevent from entering the standing VIP area, insisting that walking aids were prohibited—despite her explaining that her long cane was a visual aid and did not affect her mobility.
“In the end, I gave up my cane to the medic team and then they let me go down,” she told BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor. “It was more my confidence and my independence… it felt dehumanising.”
Ms Obigbesan, who spent £489 on her standing VIP ticket, said she was treated as a “health and safety risk” and spent much of the three-hour show crying.
A Tottenham Hotspur spokesperson apologised, refunded her ticket and invited her to a Kendrick Lamar concert on Wednesday as a guest.
While the stadium said its team acted “in the interest of Esther’s safety” on the night of the concert, they acknowledged her experience “did not meet the standards we consider acceptable as a venue”.
After giving up her cane to the medic team, Ms Obigbesan said she later asked a security guard to help her find the toilet, but overheard staff discussing her while inside the cubicle.
She said when she came out of the toilet, security staff had contacted the safety officer who was trying to relocate her.
"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,” Ms Obigbesan explained.
She was eventually moved to a seated area two levels above where she had originally been placed, but was distressed for the remainder of the show.
Ms Obigbesan said that while there might have been a miscommunication between the ticket sellers and 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."
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: “It's not about seeing the disability aid or the visual aid, it's about seeing the patron… and ensuring that we communicate with them, and not through them, which is what happened in this place.”
