Solis Music and Arts Festival in Islamabad, Pakistan was shut down on Saturday after hundreds of people with fake tickets “fought their way” into the venue.
The electronic music festival was due to feature acts such as Dannic, Mike Williams, Julian James and Fdvm at the 1,000-capacity Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
Organiser said that the event was cancelled after thousands of fake ticket holders, who were denied entry, broke down barricades and forced their way onto a VIP stage, causing it to collapse.
Solis said in a statement: “We chose the venue and our security based on the number of tickets sold and made arrangements based on this.
“We warned against fake tickets on numerous occasions. However, we underestimated the sheer volume of thousands of ‘fake tickets’ that were being sold illegally.
“These people were denied entry, but broke our barricades and forced themselves in, climbing on VIP platforms which couldn’t take the weight and destroyed our stage putting everyone’s safety at risk.”
https://www.facebook.com/SolisFestival/photos/a.208209763401673/482415452647768/?type=3&theater
However, many fans have lashed out at the festival claiming that its “lack of security” and “mismanagement” were to blame for the chaos. In addition, some people reported incidents of sexual harassment and assault following the stage collapse.
An inquiry is now underway to determine what happened at the event, with Deputy Commissioner for Islamabad, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, stating that the festival organisers “will not be allowed any future event in Islamabad”.
Image: Martin Fisch
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