Aussie disability advocate Hannah Diviney tells Billie Eilish fans complaining about disabled people being let into GA first at her concerts to 'check their privilege'.
Australian disability advocate Hannah Diviney says that any Billie Eilish concert campers complaining about disabled fans being given priority entry to Rod Laver Arena 'need to check their privilege.'
Billie Eilish is playing her final Australian concert on Saturday, and her fourth back-to-back show at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.
The 23-year-old musician is half way through the Australian leg of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, and fans desperate to get prime positions for the sold-out performances this week are taking extreme measures.
Dedicated fans of pop star have camped out in Melbourne Park for days ahead of the singer's concerts, even pitching tents around the precinct to secure their spot in fan-made lines for general admission.
'I am absolutely howling at the videos coming from the Billie Eilish Melbourne concerts,' one fan who attended Billie's concert on Thursday night said.
'The arena letting accessibility patrons into the pit first, ahead of people who camped ou, is hilarious,' Brooke, 26, said in a video posted to TikTok.
Billie Eilish is playing her final Australian concert on Saturday, and her fourth back-to-back show at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. Some disappointed fans who camped out to try and get closer to the stage have lashed out at the venue giving priority entry to disabled fans
Dedicated fans of pop star have camped out in Melbourne Park for days ahead of the singer's concerts, even pitching tents around the precinct to secure their spot in fan-made lines for general admission
Australian disability advocate Hannah Diviney praised Billie Eilish and Rod Laver Arena for the 'brilliant' move and said the Birds of a Feather singer is a true 'ally'
'In one of the videos that I saw, there's this girl in the background going "It's NOT fair!"' she continued.
'Yeah girl. It's not fair, and that's what people with disabilities experience every day.
'You were told not to camp out. You were told it was not allowed.
'So the fact that they got to go in first, calmly as a group? I love it.'
A barricade at a concert is a barrier or structure that separates the crowd from the stage.
Super fans of visiting international pop stars have, for years now, tried to control which concert attendees will get to stand at the front of general admission.
'F**k you camping culture,' Brooke said. 'It's what you deserve.'
The 26-year-old ended her TikTok with the caption, 'Thank you Rod Laver.'
Hannah was thrust into the international spotlight in 2022 when she called out some of the world's biggest stars to change the lyrics she described as ableist.
The 25-year-old, who lives with lives with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, was thrust into the international spotlight in 2022 when she called out Beyonce and Lizzo for using the harmful term "spaz" in their lyrics.
Lizzo heard her calls and apologised for the lyrics. Following the release of Beyonce's album Renaissance, the pop superstar responded to public disappointment and re-released one of her songs that also featured the term.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, Hannah said it is very rare for her to catch a glimpse of an artist when she attends large concerts.
'Normally you are well and truly up the back,' the disability advocate said. 'The artist might be a tiny speck in the distance.'
She added the concert going experience for fans living with disabilities usually means an obstructed side view of the stage, or being seated at the back of the crowd.
'But I think what Billie has done is brilliant,' Hannah said. 'She's a true ally and I completely applaud her for that.'
This week, several Billie Eilish fans have posted videos to TikTok complaining that they had camped out in fan-made lines, against the venue's rules, and did not secure a prime position for the concert.
Hannah Diviney had some choice words for the Australian Billie Eilish fans complaining that people with accessibility needs were allowed up to the barricade first: 'Check your privilege'
This week, some Aussie Billie Eilish fans have taken to social media to complain about how they camped out at Rod Laver Arena and did not get to the front of General Admission
The 25-year-old, who successfully convinced Lizzo and Beyonce to remove the term "spaz" from their hit songs, said she'd be happy to 'arrange' a day-in-the-life experience for them
'What was even happening and why did people with no numbers end up in front of the ones happening for days?' one person captioned their video of the massive crowds entering Rod Laver.
Meanwhile a couple of female fans made a video joking about how they had secured spots against the barricade after camping out with crutches so that they could sneak into the accessibility queue.
For those people, Hannah has some choice words.
'I would say, check your privilege. If you'd like try a day in my life, then we can arrange that,' she said.