Some Miley Cyrus fans are learning the hard way: a film festival is not a concert.
Miley made a glam appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival this week for the premiere of Something Beautiful, her new visual album experience that’s set to hit cinemas for a one-day release on June 12.
But while the singer was there to celebrate creativity and talk about her latest artistic venture, not everyone in the audience got the memo.
During a post-screening Q&A, things took a turn when several fans began shouting at Miley, apparently under the impression that she was there to perform a full concert, not speak about her work, the Mirror details.
“We thought this was a concert!” one person yelled, adding they paid $800 for tickets. Another interrupted with: “Are you actually going to sing?”
Miley, ever the pro, kept her cool. She eventually gave in and sang a soft, impromptu version of 'The Climb', all while seated, in what felt more like a peace offering than a planned performance.
She may not have been belting out bangers onstage, but Miley looked every bit the headliner. Rocking a stunning netted gown with spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and a floor-length cream fur shawl, she was serving Old Hollywood with a modern twist. Her hair was styled in loose waves, makeup flawless, and her vibe effortlessly iconic.
But not everyone was charmed by the audience behavior. Social media quickly lit up with fans defending Miley and dragging those who disrupted the event.
“Oh I am MAD mad. Poor Miley. Tribeca is a huge career achievement and audience tainted it. Wow," one X user wrote.
Fans didn’t hold back, slamming the hecklers as disrespectful and clueless.
“imagine paying $800 for a miley concert like that’s crazy????? especially when it was advertised at a film festival as a film premiere. like girl if you bought tickets of resell sites that were $800 that’s your own fault for not doing your research [sic],” one person vented.
Others blamed pandemic-era behavior for the lack of social awareness: “No common sense. No idea what they’re even buying tickets for.”
One fan summed it up: “What they did to Miley Cyrus at the Tribeca Film Festival was absolutely disgusting. Grown adults bullying and harassing her, and no one stopped it?”
After the chaos, Miley responded in the most Miley way possible, with grace. She took to Instagram to post a reel of photos from the event, captioned with a heartfelt message: “Sending you all of my love, to show how much I appreciate sharing the experience of releasing my visual album @tribeca together xo tonight truly was Something Beautiful. Thank you.”
Fans quickly flooded the comments with love and apologies for how things unfolded.
“You were amazing. You didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. You handled it with gentleness and kindness, like always. Proud of you!” one fan wrote.
The 'Used to Be Young' singer has been in full promo mode since her latest album dropped, and has even served up a few cheeky moments along the way. At a recent record signing, she autographed an album for a fan named Liam and couldn’t help but quip: “You’re the best Liam,” taking a playful jab at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth.
Since their split, Miley has moved on, both personally and professionally. She’s been dating musician Maxx Morando since 2021 (he even worked on the new album), while Hemsworth has been linked to model Gabriella Brooks since 2019.
Miley, meanwhile, is thriving. In a candid chat with Zane Lowe, she opened up about her journey with sobriety and how it’s changed her life and relationships.
Tribeca may not have gone entirely to plan, but if there’s one thing Miley Cyrus has proven, again, it’s that she knows how to handle chaos with class, keep the spotlight, and turn even a messy moment into something beautiful.