Abu Dhabi - Angry fans had pulled down gates at The Weeknd concert on Friday night.
Published: Sat 24 Nov 2018, 9:19 PM
Updated: Sun 25 Nov 2018, 8:16 AM
Angry fans stormed through closed gates of Du Arena for The Weeknd F1 after race concert on Friday night, pushing through security personnel.
Scenes of utter chaos unfolded at Du as the concert began a little after 9.30pm with hundreds of fans still cordoned off outside the gates. Chants of 'Open, Open' rose from the crowd and every attempt made by the security team to tame the crowd fell flat as the impatient mob started shaking and tearing down the metal gates to force their way through.
"This is unbelievable. It is sheer madness to stop people who have bought tickets ," said Alisa, a Dubai resident. She said her friend is outside and unable to come in.
An Irish expat said he is waiting for his wife to come in. "I got in early and she is out there with her friends. We have paid money and I have no idea why they are not letting us in."
A lot of people who had tickets could not manage to get in and they said they want their money back. A tourist from the UK said she paid 400 pounds to buy the early bird ticket for all the four days.
"They did not let me and my sister in. We came all the way from the UK for these concerts. Organisers have to pay us back," said Neena.
A security personnel who does not want to be named said they have orders not to let in people because the Du Arena ground was packed to capacity.
The capacity of Du Arena is 35,000 and it is one of the biggest outdoor venues in the UAE. Apparently, it is believed that tickets were sold beyond the seating capacity.
"We are afraid there will be a stampede if we let more people in. There are thousands outside. What can we do?," he asked.
People were seen jumping over the fence and security personnel moved fast and arrested them.
Yasalam released this statement following the concert:
"The health and safety of our fans, staff and artists is always our number one priority.
The du Arena can easily accommodate 35,000 concert-goers. However, due to a large number of fans arriving simultaneously to The Weeknd concert, the gates were closed as a safety measure.
"We are aware that this caused upset and disappointment and understand this can lead to frustration. We are disappointed to hear there were instances of inappropriate fan behavior and are working with necessary teams to ensure a smooth and safe entry ahead of the following concerts.
"We would like to remind everyone that gates to du Arena open at 6pm daily and encourage concert-goers to arrive early."
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