Harry Styles faced technical issues during his premiere, leaving fans frustrated as they encountered buffering issues, lagging playback and access problems when the streamer launched the highly anticipated event. The 32-year-old pop star celebrated the release of his fourth studio album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” with a Friday performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena before 20,500 fans. Netflix announced the concert would stream on Sunday exclusively at 7pm GMT, allowing global audiences to experience the show. However, when the scheduled time arrived, eager fans took to social media expressing fury that the special was not immediately available. Those who eventually gained access reported persistent buffering and glitchy quality.
“Has Harry Styles broken Netflix? Why does it keep pausing and lagging?” one fan wrote. Another complained: “Ridiculously lagging. Did you buy your copy from dave on the market?” Several users reported the streamer only showed a trailer rather than the full concert.
Despite the technical difficulties, fans who managed to watch praised Styles’ performance. The concert featured the new album in full, plus fan favourites including “Golden,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “As It Was,” and “Sign of the Times.”
During the Manchester show, Styles delivered an emotional speech about love and kindness. “There are so many dangerous things that feel so powerful, but love is powerful, kindness is powerful,” he told the crowd. “The world could use a little extra peace right now, so please, do what you can.”
Tickets for the intimate gig were distributed via ballot at just £20, with famous faces including James Corden and Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Hannah Dodd in attendance. The concert was a strictly no-phones zone, but fans captured Styles’ heartfelt messages about community and hope.
Netflix has not yet commented on the technical issues.