Attendees continue to blast Yuewen Music Festival

Complaints about the inaugural three-day Yuewen Music Festival held at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach did not abate on its second day on Dec 29, as irate attendees continued to lash out about inconveniences related to bad weather.

On Dec 28, many left scathing reviews of the proceedings on social media and blasted the mismanagement of the event organised by Chinese entertainment company Yuewen Group.

Most grouses revolved around being made to evacuate from the event area when a lightning warning was issued with no proper shelter available, missing artistes’ performances due to a long re-entry process, and sets being cut short.

The Dec 28 line-up included Taiwanese Mandopop singers Maggie Chiang and Lala Hsu, K-pop girl groups Kiss Of Life, Itzy and Red Velvet’s sub-unit Irene & Seulgi, and Thai singer-actor idols Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn.

The conditions were not ideal again on Dec 29. According to the event’s Instagram page, a lightning alert was in effect at 2.40pm, which delayed the event’s original start time of 3pm.

The sets by South Korean singer Kino, South Korean rapper Wooseok and Chinese rapper Gali were cancelled, amid heavy rain over two hours in the late afternoon and fears of lightning.

The joint set by Thai actors Win Metawin and Nanon was also cut short.

Polytechnic students Kamin Tan, 21, and Ong XY, 24, who attended the festival on Dec 28 and 29, said the second day was worse as they missed more acts.

When a lightning warning was issued on both days, the two were told by staff to take shelter at Siloso Beach’s Sapphire Pavilion. On Dec 28, Ms Tan and Ms Ong bought ponchos sold on-site for $6 each, which they reused on Dec 29.

On Dec 28, they missed Kiss Of Life’s entire set because they were stuck at the bag checks at the pavilion while re-entering the venue, but managed to catch Itzy as well as Irene & Seulgi.

Ms Ong, who declined to give her full name, said: “We each paid $369 for a two-day standard ticket, which in hindsight was not really worth it.”

Another Dec 29 concertgoer, who wanted to be known only as Ms Rina, was disappointed that she barely got to see her idols Win Metawin and Nanon.

She said: “At 4.15pm, after Nanon sang only one song, there was another lightning warning announcement, and the performance had to be cancelled. Win did not even get to go onstage.”

In the afternoon of Dec 29, both celebrities apologised to fans in a video posted to the event’s Instagram page.

Win said: “Due to the weather right now – it really is so bad – we are concerned about your safety. So, we have to stop our show, and we want to thank all of the staff and fans who were here. Hope to see you guys soon.”

Nanon added: “Take care of yourself and see you next time.”

Ms Rina, a 25-year-old retail assistant who attended alone on a single-day standard ticket, said she was also instructed to seek shelter at the Sapphire Pavilion, but found the area too packed and stuffy.

She said: “I don’t think there was enough space to house all the attendees. The organisers should have set up more tents or at least handed out ponchos at the entrance, like at other music festivals I have attended overseas.

“I think the management of this event is very poor and I am never going back again.”

By 7.30pm, it had stopped raining and the sets by Chinese rapper Masiwei, Japanese singer-actress Mika Nakashima, and K-pop headliners Daesung and Taeyang from boy band BigBang proceeded smoothly.

At 8.50pm, Daesung took the stage in a cream cardigan for a 25-minute, five-song set. He opened with the cheery track Wings, from BigBang’s EP Alive (2012), and said: “Thank you for being here with me.”

At 9.45pm, bandmate Taeyang closed the night, dressed in a white tee and ripped jeans and performing 10 tracks over 45 minutes, including his 2014 hit Eyes, Nose, Lips.

“Earlier, I saw that it was raining hard, and I was worried about you. Are you guys all right?” he said, to cheers from the crowd.

 

He added: “I hope you guys get home safely after the show, and thank you for coming in this weather.”

Ms Tan said Daesung and Taeyang’s glitch-free segments made up for the inconveniences she faced earlier in the day.

“I really liked Umbrella, an unreleased song which Daesung performed,” she said. “It got the crowd really excited and made the event feel special.

“Taeyang’s performance was also incredible. He asked the crowd if BigBang should come and hold a concert in Singapore, and I really hope it happens.”

 

However, not all fans were as forgiving.

Ms Fiona Cher, 26, who attended both days, said: “The organiser hosted an outdoor event without any wet weather planning or back-up plans other than to cut the artiste’s setlist or cancel the show.

“Moreover, we found out the performances were cancelled from the artistes themselves – Kino and Wooseok even approached those in the fan zone directly to apologise – and not the organisers.

“As fans, we want a refund, especially for Dec 29, since half the schedule was cancelled.”

Yuewen Group did not reply to The Straits Times’ query about attendance figures for both days.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the festival said the team is “doing everything it can to improve”.

“We were just fighting against the weather and we had no choice (when it came to) the cancellations of the other artistes’ sets. We are working around the clock to address these things, and we are very sincere. We really want to give the festivalgoers a good experience.”

In response to the most common concerns expressed by attendees, the spokeswoman said free raincoats and tissue paper were given out on Dec 29. Additional signage directing people to the venue will be erected and water will be distributed on Dec 31.

Six more pavilions were provided for those seeking shelter, and the team ensured security did not chase anyone out and there was “sufficient space” for everyone.

She added: “We also communicated with celebrities to perform on the ground floor instead of a higher level, where they might be blocked by an overhead canopy.”

The third and final night of Yuewen Music Festival is set for Dec 31. It will feature acts such as Dutch electronic dance heavyweights Afrojack and Don Diablo and Singaporean DJ Wukong.