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Ilaiyaraaja's Chennai Concert: Symphony Debut Marred by Chaos
1 Jun
Summary
- Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja debuted his first symphony in Chennai.
- Concert attendees reported issues like unclean seats and poor sound.
- Organizers previously faced criticism for AR Rahman's concert.
Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja presented his first-ever symphony, Valiant, to Chennai audiences at the Nehru Outdoor Stadium on May 30, 2026. The following day, May 31, 2026, he performed a three-hour-30-minute concert featuring many of his hit songs. This two-day event, organized by ACTC events, garnered mixed reactions.
While a portion of the audience appreciated Ilaiyaraaja's introduction of the symphony experience to Chennai, many others took to social media to voice their complaints. Issues cited included a lack of uniformed volunteers, small LED screens, and poor audio quality, leading some attendees to leave the concert prematurely. The condition of the venue also faced criticism, with reports of uncovered seats with feces and inaudible sound.
ACTC events, the organizer, had previously faced backlash for alleged mismanagement during AR Rahman's Marakkuma Nenjam concert in 2023. The controversy surrounding that event, which included claims of molestation, added to the scrutiny of this latest concert. Despite the challenges, the Ilaiyaraaja concert featured a playlist of his popular songs, starting with 'Janani Janani' and concluding with 'En Jodi Manja Kuruvi'.
