Ed Sheeran fans should take note.
After recent complaints regarding crowd congestion, a lack of space and delays to reach the main stage at Ed Sheeran’s recent gig in Dublin, Aiken Promotions released the following statement.
The crux of it was that the promoters asked concert goers to arrive early, check that they’re taking the correct route and know where the various facilities – bars, toilets, food stalls – can be found.
Aiken also said that “they are putting additional measures in place to prevent it happening again” and in an interview with Morning Ireland, Eamon O’Boyle, Safety Officer with Aiken Promotions, provided some additional details about what this will entail.
“We’re going to increase the level of security and have a team of 30 people who are going to be policing this particular area itself to make sure that this won’t occur and we’re also going to create a sterile area at the entrance and this will ensure people don’t congregate within that area,” he said.
O’Boyle also elaborated on the reasons why there was a ‘blockage’ for people that were trying to get to stage to watch Sheeran on Wednesday night.
“There was adequate space within the venue [on Wednesday]. The problem was people kind of stopped to look at the concert and then they created a blockage there,” he said.
This supports what Aiken said in their statement.
The promoters said that the “movement of people through the large gap between two banks of seats (that is the connection between the concessions area/entrances and the viewing area/pitch) worked well all night until Ed took to the stage when approximately 5,000 people were still to come in. When Ed went on stage those people who were in the concessions /toilet area and those still entering came in through the gap but did not move on to take a place in the designated standing area, they just stopped inside the gap to watch the show.”
O’Boyle also said that there’s going to be a “one way in and a one way out system” which should make it easier for people to access the toilets/food areas etc.
Aside from reiterating the need for people to arrive early at the Phoenix Park early, Mr O’Boyle also said that various issues on Wednesday night’s gig lasted for about ten minutes and that the authorities “immediately intervened with the assistance of the gardai and our stewards”.
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