A petition is circulating online, calling for an apology and refund from organisers of Auckland concert Listen In after attendees were left injured, drinks lines were more than an hour long and people complained the venue was overcrowded.
The one-day festival, on two stages at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium on Friday, has come under fire on social media from people saying they did not get what they paid for.
Rapper Central Cee only played three songs of his 40-minute set before he left the stage, due to conditions in the mosh pit.
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The rap stage was put on hold after one rapper allegedly left the stage due to unsafe crowd conditions.
Drink lines where more than an hour long with a limit of just one drink per person, and there was a lack of shelter from the rain. There was limited access to water and toilets, apart from $8 bottles of water at the bars.
Tickets were upwards of $130 for the seven-hour show. The VIP section cost more than $200, and was meant to give ticket-holders access to their own toilets and bars but were open to all.
James Parkinson, director of Auckland Stadiums, said there were more than 30,000 people at the event.
He said, due to “unprecedented crowd behaviour” during Central Cee’s set on the Atari stage, planned safety procedures were put in place.
That included pausing the show, house lights coming on, multiple safety announcements and an extended interval between acts.
“During this time security pulled a number of patrons from the mosh pit that were attended to by St John medics. St John have reported that they did not treat any patrons for significant injuries attributable to this matter. The 20-minute show pause allowed the crowd behaviour to be addressed before the show continued shortly after 9.30pm.”
He said there were good crowd safety measures in place.
“Safety is our number one priority. Considerable time and expertise was spent co-ordinating pre-event planning and preparation involving the venue, the promoter and all support agencies and this ensured the group was prepared to make immediate and appropriate decisions to address any challenges as they arose while minimising any potential harm to patrons.”
Parkinson said St John transported eight people to hospital in a mild to moderate condition through the course of the event, the majority of which were for intoxication.
“As part of our standard operating processes, we will be conducting a full de-brief and review of last night’s event in conjunction with all stakeholders.”
The event organisers, Fuzzy Entertainment, have been contacted for comment.
One concert-goer said he paid for accommodation, as well as $160 for a ticket, and travelled from Whangarei for the event.
Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images
Listen In was held at Mt Smart Stadium on a very wet Friday night.
He was in the mosh pit of the rap stage when a person was knocked out and then trampled, he said.
Olivia Thompson said one of her friends was also trampled, not able to breathe or get back up.
“She was screaming for someone to help her.
“It was such a traumatic experience and I wish I could get my money back.”
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Olivia Thompson wants a refund.
Ashley Emiko said she paid $284 for a ticket only to be soaked in the rain, get shoved and hurt by people in the crowd and have to use “disgustingly filthy” toilet despite paying for VIP access.
“I had to leave early because I couldn’t stand it any more. I’m so disappointed. I want a refund.”
A petition was now circulating on Change.org asking for a refund and an online apology from the organisers.
“The stairs connecting both stages were steel metal scaffolding with small holes. People were getting pushed and shoved down and getting injured… because it was so overcrowded and insane,” the petition said.
It was the first time the event had returned to New Zealand since 2019. There were also shows under the name Listen Out in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Consumer NZ spokesperson Jessica Walker said any event should be provided with reasonable care and skill, and if that had not happened then people should have the right to compensation.
“In this instance, we think you’re within your rights to request a refund.”
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) the promoter, ticketing agent and event organisers must carry out services with reasonable care and skill. If the CGA is breached, you can obtain damages for any losses.
An event ticket and its terms and conditions formed a contract between the buyer and seller, Walker said. Both attendees and organisers had rights under that agreement.
“In addition to these rights, any statements by promoters, ticket-sellers and event organisers must be true and not misleading. If not, the Contract and Commercial Law Act could entitle you to obtain damages. The Fair Trading Act could also apply, which means you could claim for any misleading conduct,” Walker said.
At events, she recommended gathering evidence of the unsatisfactory conditions, including taking photos, and complaining to staff at the venue. If an event felt unsafe, she said, it might be better to leave.
“Anyone affected by this weekend’s event should complain to Worksafe, and the management of the event venue too.”
