LGBTQ party cancelled over miscommunication and not its queer nature, says Capitol Theatre

An event targeted at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community has been cancelled due to a misunderstanding caused by a lapse in communication, according to the Capitol Theatre in a statement to TODAY. 

The event, which was meant to be held at the theatre on 27 May, was not cancelled over its LGBTQ nature as was suggested by the organiser, Slay LA, it clarified. 

The party, which was called Slay Harajuku, was cancelled because it was an electronic dance music (EDM) event, said Capitol Theatre's operator, IMC Group Asia, in a statement to the press. 

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The firm reportedly decided to no longer hold EDM events at the theatre after a New Year's Eve EDM party there left the location in a bad condition. 

However, the change in policy was reportedly not communicated effectively to the venue's management team, according to IMC Group Asia. The spokesperson noted that they regret this outcome and that it will work to improve its internal communications, said TODAY. 

The clarification comes days after Slay LA, a Los Angeles based event organiser, took to its Instagram page to announce that its Slay Harajuku party was cancelled. 

"It is with a heavy heart that we make this announcement. Due to an unexpected and sudden termination of our venue hire agreement, Slay Harajuku scheduled for 27 May, will be cancelled," it wrote before adding that it felt that its guests and supporters deserved an explanation. 

Slay LA claimed that in December last year, it began discussions with IMC Asia to host Slay Harajuku on 27 May 2023. 

"The venue hire agreement was fully executed and full payment was made in March," it said before adding that from the outset, the Slay team made it known that Slay was a diverse and inclusive LGBTQ party event that welcomed everyone. 

"On Tuesday, 11 April, we received a call from IMC Asia informing us that the stakeholder Perennial Holdings was uncomfortable with Slay being a “gay event” and sought reassurance," it said. "The Slay team then sent an email stating [its] diversity, equality and inclusion objectives, and that the event is supported by several product sponsors."

Unfortunately, according to Slay, they were informed on 14 April over the phone and by email that its hire agreement was being terminated.

It said:

The reason being, negative feedback was received from neighboring tenants, and from the adjacent hotel and mosque, after a previous EDM event was held over New Year’s Eve.

Slay noted that these concerns were never made known to them at any point in previous correspondences or site visits. It added that it was unable to move Slay Harajuku to a suitable alternative venue and to reapply for the required venue specific police licenses given the short lead time which is why the decision was made to cancel the event. 

"Before we go, we would like to state that we remain committed to carving out safe spaces for the LGBTQ community that are open and inclusive and will continue to work only with venues that share our vision of celebrating our diverse and beautiful lives," it concluded. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Slay LA and to Capitol Theatre to find out more. 

The incident comes on the heels of drone racing and sports company D1 Racing finding themselves in hot water after police reports were filed against the company for a party they were set to throw.

The party, which was due to take place on Siloso Beach, was set to feature famous DJs such as Rasif alongside Rave Republic and Simon Patterson. However, it was reported by The Straits Times that Rasif only found out about her involvement via D1 Racing’s Facebook advertisement. She then asked the organisers for payment and confirmation that it has all the necessary documents and licences for the event. Rasif also reportedly asked D1 racing to stop using her images in their advertisements until she received her deposit.

However, upon finding inaccuracies in D1 Racing’s contract, Rasif allegedly pulled out. This then led to organiser D1 Racing e-mailing ticket holders to say that the party would be cancelled because Rasif and her replacement, Amber Na, could not perform that night.

In the email, as reported by The Straits Times, D1 Racing also gave guest a redemption code to claim a free ticket to a party for the following year while it “explored the possibility of a refund”. 

However, when certain ticket holders reached out to the organiser for a refund, saying they did not wish to attend the event in 2023, they were met with silence.

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