Michaela Burns, 33, from St Helens, treated her son Henry Heaney for tickets to see his favourite band AC/DC for his 10th birthday at the Stade de France in Paris
A mum has claimed her son’s birthday was spoiled by an “awful” experience at a French stadium.
Michaela Burns, 33, from St Helens, surprised her son Henry Heaney with tickets to see his favourite band AC/DC for his 10th birthday at the Stade de France in Paris.
Michaela kept the surprise until they reached the hotel and captured his reaction on film for his dad to watch back home, with Henry declaring it as his “best birthday ever”. However, she says their experience at the stadium was marred by other spectators smoking and vaping around him.
Henry is asthmatic and had previously suffered a respiratory attack when he was younger, which resulted in him being rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
A new smoking ban introduced in France last month prohibits the smoking of cigarettes in all outdoor places frequented by children, including stadiums like the Stade de France. A spokesperson for the stadium has apologised for spectators not adhering to this rule.
Henry began showing symptoms of a respiratory attack as the air filled with smoke before being taken to the stadium’s first aid room, where he experienced a panic attack. He later received treatment at a local hospital before being discharged with a prescription, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Speaking to the ECHO, Michaela said: “As soon as we got there, there were people vaping and smoking. That’s why I went to the ticket office and luckily there was no issue.
“I asked to move partly because he couldn’t see, but partly because of the smoking. I mentioned it to her and she said we are a non-smoking venue, so anyone seen smoking should be kicked out.
“So then they gave us the seats and literally as the show started, people started lighting up. We saw a few stewards walking around telling people off but I didn’t see anyone leave. Henry started showing symptoms of a respiratory attack. Then he had a panic attack in the first aid room.”
Michaela says she and Henry fear they may never get the chance to see AC/DC live again.
She said: “He was in the middle of having a panic attack and he was apologising. I was saying to him, you’ve got nothing to apologise about.
“I had a guilty feeling because I didn’t realise how many people would be smoking in the venue. I expected a few, maybe at the front in the standing section, near the mosh pits and things like that. But I didn’t expect it on the seats.
“Henry knows how old they are and we’re thinking their Edinburgh gig may be the last one they do in the UK. To go from that high of him being so excited for the gig to what happened, it’s just awful.”
Henry began to recover but after they left the stadium, a security officer outside stopped them to say that he still looked unwell.
He was then taken to Saint Denis Hospital where he was given oxygen and recovered. Michaela hopes to highlight how thoughtless behaviour can create difficulties for people suffering from breathing problems.
She explained: “We can’t be the only ones that struggled. There are plenty of people in the world that have respiratory issues and asthma.
“We want to get it out there that non-smoking venues or areas of stadiums are kept as that and that stewards will be more vigilant to protect more vulnerable fans like Henry whose deserved dream concert ended so suddenly.”
A spokesperson for the Stade de France said: “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. We are aware of the new smoking bans that came into effect on July 1, 2025, which extend the ‘smoke-free’ zones in France. Stadiums are included in this.
“We are doing our utmost to enforce this decree within the stadium, but some spectators’ habits persist and it will take us a little time to adapt before we can become a completely ‘smoke-free’ zone.
“This feedback is important to us, as it enables us to improve the quality of the welcome we offer to the public at the Stade de France.”