Ella Langley cancels sold-out Tulsa concert after anonymous threat; police find 'no credible threat'

Cancellation at the BOK Center

US country music star Ella Langley canceled her sold-out concert at the 19,000-seat BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about two hours before the show was due to start on Friday, citing a "serious security threat." In a statement on Instagram, the 27-year-old singer said the "incredibly difficult" decision was made to protect "the safety of my fans, the venue staff and my team," and added that information on ticket refunds "will be shared as soon as possible." The BOK Center issued its own statement saying the show could not proceed after "careful consideration" and apologized to ticketed fans.

Police response and finding of 'no credible threat'

Capt. Richard Meulenberg of the Tulsa Police Department said officers were called to the venue after an anonymous caller said "great harm" would be done at the event "in the way of shots fired and bombs." He told reporters outside the arena that a routine pre-show sweep had already been carried out by K-9 units, the bomb team, patrol officers and BOK security, and that after the phone call officers with sniffer dogs searched the arena a second time. "We could not find a credible threat here at the BOK Center," Meulenberg said, while adding that the caller "disrupted this entire event" for thousands of fans.

Decision attributed to Langley's team

Meulenberg stressed that law enforcement did not direct the cancellation. "We advised the group here that was supposed to perform that we could not find a credible threat. We never advised them they should not continue to have their event," he said in an interview with FOX23, according to local reporting. "They made the decision upon themselves to cancel the event even though we could not find a credible threat." Police said they suspect the call was a swatting attempt, and Tulsa Crime Stoppers was reported to be offering a cash reward for tips at 918-596-COPS.

Context around the artist

The cancellation comes weeks after Langley's single "Choosin' Texas" overtook Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to become the longest-running number one single in US chart history, according to the BBC report. The Alabama-born singer swept the Academy of Country Music Awards in May on the back of that run. No rescheduled date for the Tulsa show has been announced in the available reporting, and details of any refund process remain to be confirmed by the artist and venue.