Organisers of the In The City festival that was hosted on Sunday at Pretoria’s SunBet Arena have defended themselves, saying performance interruptions weren’t because of financial or organisational failure.
“Yesterday’s occurrence was neither a result of financial or organisational failure,” the organisers told The Citizen.
The event was required to obtain relevant licences and permits as per the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) and venue regulations, in the interest of general safety.
@_skye.lar Idk what to tell y’all 😭😭s/o to Jessie Reyes and Mereba though 🤏🏽🤏🏽 #summerwalker #inthecity #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – gymbaesakiya
“All of the necessary documents were approved pre-event and the show operated completely unproblematically within these parameters,” said In The City.
A JOC clearance is crucial for events, as it ensures local council compliance with fire regulations, waste management, crowd control, and emergency services.
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Summer Walker’s frustration
However, despite having all the prerequisite documents in place for the smooth running of the show, concert attendees were frustrated with the show’s running times.
I knew #InTheCity was up to some sh!t when they refused to release set times for today's performances. We want our refunds .@SteynEnt .@LVRN
— Men Know. They DGAF! (@Ipeleng101) October 5, 2025
They were most angered by the headline act, Summer Walker, having to cut her performance.
How could summer walker Get 30 minutes that doesn’t make sense these promoters didn’t do justice they did her wrong @summerwalker ..we stand with you,Steyn Entertainment messed up your performance !!#WeFeelYouSummerWalker#InTheCityFail
— Taded_sa (@Taded_ncholo) October 5, 2025
Explaining to her fans as to why she cut short her performance, Walker said the event was poorly organised.
“South Africa I am so, so sorry. I kicked off the stage. This whole thing was unprofessional, they changed my time three times,” said Walker in a video.
Walker said when she finally got on stage to perform, the organisers kept ‘yelling’ in her ear to cut her set.
“I didn’t even get to get down and get out in the crowd like I usually do because they’re telling me to hurry up. So we wrap it up, that wasn’t my intention; I was prepared to do my full hour.”
The singer-songwriter said the police and organisers told her to get off stage because they would be fined if she continued performing.
“I get off the stage… and they could’ve just paid the fine, they know that you guys spent your hard-earned money, your time,” said Walker.
She said she was on time.
“I was ready, they kicked your girl off and I really can’t do anything about that. I just don’t want y’all to think that it was on me.”
The singer held a meet-and-greet with fans after the show.
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Scheduling delays
The organisers blamed scheduling delays for the reduced stage time allocated to Walker and other performers.
“Schedule delays outside of our control during the course of the day unfortunately forced the team to adjust the running order of the entire show mid-event,” In The City told The Citizen.
They added that there was a ‘non-negotiable hard 10:30pm cut-off’ for the duration of the show.
“The decision was made to shorten the stage time of all of the performing artists, including Summer Walker.”
In The City, however, denied that there was an option to pay a fine for the show extension.
“An option to pay a fine in exchange for an extension was never presented and thus never an option. In The City takes a great deal of pride in playing a part in celebrating South Africa’s music community and continues to be committed to delivering quality experiences.”
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