Victoria Police will review the crowd surge that forced Friday night’s free Amyl and The Sniffers gig at Federation Square to be cancelled minutes before the band were due onstage.
What started as a huge early turnout for a one night only event tipped quickly once people began pushing against the front barriers and security couldn’t stabilise the area.
The event was already at capacity well before the band arrived. Hundreds of fans were locked out and pressure from the back of the crowd pushed forward. A section of fencing gave way and videos posted online show people spilling into the secure zone before staff could reset the perimeter. From that point the show could not continue. The Herald Sun reported that fans who were denied entry were among those who forced their way through the perimeter, with an onstage announcement triggering more movement inside the square. That point has not been confirmed, and there is no clear evidence yet linking the breach to the fans who were locked out.
Watch: Fence Busted As Punters Pour Into Fed Sqaure Venue
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the force will wait for a full report before deciding what this means for future free events at the site. He said there was a risk to public safety and confirmed police will look at how the crowd managed to breach the barriers and whether the event setup can handle demand at this level.
MAP Co, the precinct operator, fronted media on Saturday and backed the decision to shut the show down. CEO Katrina Sedgwick said the call was difficult but necessary and added she was relieved the night ended without anyone being hurt. Earlier this week the same site hosted more than 374 bagpipers performing Long Way to the Top as part of a world record, which shows how heavily Federation Square has been used during the city’s current surge in music activity.
Watch: 374 bagpipers performing Long Way to the Top
Amyl and The Sniffers posted their own statement shortly after the cancellation. The band apologised to fans, explained that the broken barriers and the all ages setup meant it was no longer safe to play and said they were ready to go before the shutdown call was made. Their full statement and timeline of the incident are covered in our earlier reporting on the free Fed Square show being cancelled. The band later redirected their performance fee into a $35,000 bar shout across seven small venues, which we covered here in our feature on Amyl And The Sniffers’ $35,000 citywide bar tab.
Fans on the ground reported frustration at the delay in updates, and once the stage announcement confirmed the show had been paused, movement inside the square increased. Minutes later the screens displayed “Event Cancelled” and the crowd began to move out of the CBD.
The timing of the cancellation has landed in the middle of one of the busiest runs Melbourne has seen for live music in years. Metallica played Marvel Stadium last weekend, Oasis wrapped multiple sold out shows, and AC/DC return to the MCG tomorrow for the second of their Melbourne dates. All of that has pushed huge numbers into the CBD, especially around locations like AC/DC Lane and Fed Square.
Police are now reviewing footage, crowd reports and security logs. MAP Co say they will also reassess how they run free events when demand reaches this level. There is no update yet on whether the show will be rescheduled, it probably won’t be, but it is clear that the combination of fan interest, city-wide activity and the scale of the turnout pushed the event far beyond what anyone expected.
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