ABU DHABI // Organisers of the after-race F1 concerts said safety concerns forced them to prevent hundreds of fans from entering the headline Rihanna show when the du Arena reached capacity on Sunday.
The much-anticipated 2016 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race concert drew an audience of 40,000, which is the capacity for the venue, said Flash Entertainment.
“For safety reasons, all main entrance gates at du Arena were closed at about 10.25pm,” said a Flash spokesperson. “This meant that some people were not able to attend the performance, which had already started.”
The concert had been scheduled to begin at 9pm, but did not get under way until about 9.40pm. A delay is not uncommon. Lionel Richie started on time on Saturday, but Pitbull emerged after 9.30pm on Thursday and The Chemical Brothers did not hit the stage until 9.40pm on Friday
Some Rihanna fans took to social media to express their irritation over lengthy and slow security queues and a large crowd waiting to enter the arena.
DH, a 47-year-old Australian who attended the concert with guests from overseas, described the experience as “awful”, especially after driving to Yas Island from Dubai.
“It was a shambles,” she said. “It took 45 minutes to get there in traffic only to be turned away.
“We were advised to go to a window at the stadium to get our wristbands. The windows closed their blinds on us and would not talk to us,” said DH. “We then went to the line where the security put up barriers and would not let anyone in. There was no PA system, no explanation, nothing.”
CB, another fan who was turned away, said that after nearly a decade staging the F1 after-race concerts, event organisers should “have all of this down perfectly by now”.
“What annoys me the most is that they treat us with contempt by failing to even simply communicate that the event is full and for HSE reasons the venue is closed,” said CB, suggesting organisers should have made an announcement through the PA system or the YasHub App to warn fans.
In a statement, a Flash Entertainment spokesperson said: “We are aware that approximately 500 fans were left disappointed, however, Flash Entertainment’s priority at every live event is the health, safety and well-being of fans, staff and artists.”
The after-race concerts are part of the benefits holders of race tickets receive, said the spokesman. “There are no tickets sold for the concerts, hence no refund structure or system in place for the concerts.
“The Rihanna concert was attended by 40,000 fans, which meant that the venue reached capacity. The main entrance gates of the du Arena were closed for safety reasons.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
* This story has been amended since it was first published.
