Disabled fan removed from Glass Animals concert after he was mistaken for being drunk by The O2 Arena staff

Matthew Parrot, a disabled man from Oxford, was removed from the O2 Arena amidst an ongoing Glass Animals concert after he was mistaken for being drunk. BBC reported that Parrot was in London last month, on November 7, with his wife, Beth, to watch Glass Animals, where he suffered a fall.

Following his fall, the O2 Arena staff assumed that Parrot was drunk and removed him from the concert, claiming his stumble while walking as evidence of his intoxication. Talking to BBC Radio 4's You and Yours program on December 2, 2024, Parrot revealed:

"I tried very much to explain that the fall wasn’t a result of drinking too much alcohol and that it was because I have this medical condition. But we were escorted out and couldn’t see the show at all."

Parrot has suffered from Lymphoma - a blood cancer that impacts one's immune system since 2007, BBC reported.

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The O2 Arena initially denied the reimbursement request of Matthew Parrot

In relation to his condition, Matthew Parrot had a bone marrow transplant three years ago, which left him with a graft-versus-host disease, which causes neuropathy (nerve damage) in his feet, among other symptoms.

Explaining the incident at the O2 Arena on the radio show, Parrot said:

"Sometimes, I walk in an awkward way. At the concert, I tripped and couldn't regain my footing. It was an unfortunate accident. It wasn’t a severe injury. I felt okay, so we just wanted to go back to our seats and enjoy the show. We refused to let the fall dampen our spirits."

Matthew went on to mention that once he was checked by O2's medical staff, the venue's security manager visited him, accompanied by a group of security guards. They refused to let him back inside, claiming that he was intoxicated.

"I had three beers over the course of four and a half hours. We were celebrating my wife’s birthday. She had the same amount, and no one was trying to throw her out."

Parrot added that he also offered to take a breath analyzer test to be able to return to the concert, which was refused by the guards. Having missed the headlining act because of the entire affair, Matthew later requested reimbursement for his tickets, worth £157.70 for the pair, which was initially rejected, per BBC.

Staff from O2 Arena later contacted Matthew Parrot directly, offering a full refund for the Glass Animals show, in addition to a pair of complimentary tickets and drink vouchers for an upcoming concert of his choice.

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The incident comes after O2 Arena was recognized by a disability charity

Having made an effort to compensate Matthew Parrot and his wife for the inconvenience they suffered in the Glass Animals show, the O2 Arena also issued an apology statement to the couple, saying:

"We were sorry to hear of this and our teams have been in touch with Mr Parrot directly and have reached a resolution on this case."

The arena went on to say how it prided itself on being "accessible and inclusive" and was recently recognized by the disability charity, Attitude is Everything. The statement continued:

"In this instance, we would like to apologise to Mr Parrot for the error and emphasise that we are constantly reviewing our procedures and staff training measures to ensure that they’re up to date and fit for purpose. We’re committed to building on the work done by our teams so far to ensure that everyone who visits The O2 has a best-in-class experience."

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BBC also reached out to Attitude is Everything charity for a comment. Their spokesperson responded by stating that they were "concerned" to hear Mr. Parrot's experience at the Arena and would contact the organizers for clarification soon.