Cardi B has apologised to Jamaican fans and said she was not to blame for her withdrawal from BZR WKND Jamaica, telling followers she held off cancelling for as long as she could while waiting for arrangements that never came together.

The rapper spoke in a video posted to her Instagram broadcast channel, reported Friday by Complex, a day after her representatives confirmed she would not headline the October 18 concert at Kingston’s National Stadium.

She said she had not planned to comment beyond that statement. “I feel like the statement was enough, but clearly it wasn’t,” she said.

Explaining the timing, she said she had “tried my best” and waited for things to fall into place, “but it didn’t.” She said she could not go into detail because of contracts. “Just know, it wasn’t me,” she said.

She also rejected online speculation that weak demand was behind the decision. “It was never that,” she said, adding that she had heard more than 18,000 tickets were sold. She said she was sad about the outcome and had planned a holiday in Jamaica with friends and family around the show.

She did not say who or what was responsible for the delay. Organisers Ryan Burke and Roy “Gramps” Morgan had not responded publicly to requests for comment from Billboard or Complex at the time of those reports.

Thursday’s statement from her representatives, given to Billboard, said only that she would not be performing and that she hoped to see her Jamaican fans in future. It referred questions about the festival’s status and ticketing to the organisers.

No refund arrangement has been announced, and it remains unclear whether the October 18 concert would go ahead or whether a replacement headliner would be booked. Patrons were already asking online how to get their money back, the newspaper said.

The show, billed as Cardi B & Friends, was the main event of a four-day programme scheduled for October 16 to 19 over the Heroes Weekend holiday. It was promoted as her first concert in Jamaica and her first headlining stadium show in the Caribbean.

Organisers had projected more than 50,000 attendees across the weekend and marketed the event to overseas travellers. At the August media launch, attended by Culture Minister Olivia Grange and State Minister Delano Seiveright, promoters said ticket prices had been set with Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa in mind.

The remaining bill includes R&B singer Keyshia Cole, announced as co-headliner, with dancehall artiste Spice as host and Jamaican acts Shaneil Muir, Malie Donn and Ding Dong. Organisers have not said whether those bookings stand.

BZR WKND debuted in 2023 with Chris Brown & Friends, which sold out the National Stadium. Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour earlier this year grossed more than US$70 million on 453,000 tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore figures.

Ticket holders and visitors who booked flights and hotels around the show are still waiting to hear from the organisers.