People weren’t happy.
Last night, Ed Sheeran played the first of three gigs scheduled for Phoenix Park this week but unfortunately, there were multiple complaints about the venue.
Many concert-goers took to Twitter to complain about what they described as ‘overcrowding’ and the entrance to the gig was described as a ‘bottleneck’.
I am sorrrryyyyy but Phoenix Park for a gig is the worst place. So disappointed after seeing @edsheeran there tonight, he sounded great but the standing was a disgrace!!! Basically waisted €86 to see nothing. #EdSheeranDublin @aikenpromotions
— Karla Bennett (@KarlaBennett29) May 17, 2018
I’ve been to many concerts in Phoenix park but I’ve never been to one as poorly organised as Ed sheeran. 50% of the crowd couldn’t fit inside the venue and inside there was a crowd crush. Worst concert I’ve ever been to. #edsheerandublin
— Emma Scanlon (@Emma5Scanlon) May 16, 2018
#edsheerandublin Had to watch the gig from here as the entrance was a bottleneck, not funny lads 61,000 fans and only room for 40,000 pic.twitter.com/E5hwI8hViX
— robert mc carthy (@RobertCarthy) May 16, 2018
Aiken Promotions has now released a statement following the numerous complaints that were issued via social media.
They have advised people to check tickets carefully as there was confusion over seated/standing tickets and they have also urged those attending to leave ‘plenty of time’ to get to Phoenix Park.
It’s also thought that the Aiken team will put ‘additional measures’ in place to prevent this from happening at the next two concerts, scheduled to take place this Friday and Saturday (18 and 19 May).
Below is the statement in full:
“Re some comments from audience members who mistakenly thought they had seated tickets when they were in fact standing tickets, we want to clarify that tickets with Gen Admission (GA) on them are tickets for the designated standing area. If you have a seated ticket it will clearly state on it a Block / Row and seat number
Please check your tickets carefully.
Last night a number of people arrived late. Please leave plenty of time to get to the venue.
Please check online for details on where concessions and toilets are located and your best routes from the area you are in to those facilities.
There are bars and concessions left and right of the stageRed Route is for seated tickets – Seating blocks A&B must enter by the North Rd entrance (Cabra and Ashtown side), Seating Blocks C,D,E must enter at Chesterfield Avenue
If you have standing tickets – Yellow Route or Blue route you can enter by either side – please follow signage and directions of stewards.Last night 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. This gap was not meant to be a viewing area, it was designed to facilitate movement between areas.This meant the people behind those who had stopped were unable to get into the viewing area and likewise some people were unable to get back out to the toilets for a time. There was at all times plenty of space left and right but it took time and many stewards and Gardai to move them on in. Once this had been done normal movement between the areas resumed.
Following a meeting this morning the team are putting additional measures in place to prevent it happening again.
There have been no reports of any (even minor) injuries as a result of this”.
