Top Spanish pop star Manuel Carrasco apologises for traffic jam chaos caused by his concert in Marbella

Pop star Manuel Carrasco has issued a heartfelt apology to the thousands of people who were stuck in a gridlock situation on the Costa del Sol's A-7 motorway and the AP-7 toll road due to the high number of fans travelling to attend his concert in Marbella on 14 August. There were kilometres of traffic jams, lines of people walking along the side of the motorway and widespread indignation at the chaos caused by the lack of good organisation of the event, which was staged at Finca de la Caridad in San Pedro Alcántara, as part of the Oasis Marbella Fest.

The musician took to social media to apologise for the inconvenience caused: "For us, the most important thing is that, when you come to a concert, you can enjoy the music and the moment. That's why we want to apologise if something didn't go as expected."

The artist said that he was left with a "bittersweet" feeling, because those who managed to get to the concert on time could enjoy the fullness of it, while for others "the experience was not as comfortable as it should have been". In addition to the traffic jams, there were also issues with visibility limitations during the concert. "We are very sorry because there is a lot of work and love put into everything," Carrasco said.

He added that, when an artist agrees to perform at a venue, "they do so trusting that it has the right conditions of accessibility and visibility". "The only thing we can promise is that we will continue to take care of every detail so that what you take home is always the best possible experience. Because that is what you deserve."

More than 30,000 people went to see the Huelva-born artist at the Finca de la Caridad. The concert attracted such a large crowd that the A-7 and the AP-7 were completely jammed. Social media was ablaze in the hours that followed with constant criticism. Concert-goers agreed that "the venue was not properly prepared to receive a show of such magnitude".

The main issue was transport. Many AP-7 toll road and A-7 motorway users queued for more than two hours to access the area. "I live in San Pedro and was on my way home from work. As I saw that there was a traffic jam on the A7, I took the toll motorway and I don't know which was worse. The cars were not moving and we were desperate. I have never seen this," José Sánchez told SUR.