The operator of Kai Tak Stadium has said it will put in place measures to ensure the safety of concertgoers after thousands of fans of K-pop girl group Blackpink queued overnight and jostled to get to the standing area of the 50,000-seat venue.
Clips posted on social media on Saturday night show the crowd jostling with one another to get into the stadium on the first night of the band’s three shows in the city, with people heard shouting “don’t push” and even screaming.
Another clip shows fans running towards the standing area next to the stage as soon as they hurried down the steps, even though security guards told them not to run and tried to maintain order.
Security guards hold back eager fans ahead of Blackpink’s show on Saturday. Photo: Handout
The rush was due to prime viewing spots in the standing area only being available on a first come, first served basis.
Some fans with standing tickets for the second concert also started queuing outside the stadium on Saturday night before the first show had even ended.
In reply to the Post on Sunday, Kai Tak Sports Park said it had made additional arrangements for crowd control after observing that many fans had arrived early to wait at the venue.
Extra barricades and screening entry lines had been installed in the waiting area to better control crowd flow, and waiting fans would be guided in small groups to proceed to the gates in an orderly manner, it added.