‘In tears’: VIP ticket holders angry after Tate McRae evacuation chaos
VIP ticket holders at the Tate McRae show last night described the experience as “traumatic” after a severe storm forced concertgoers to evacuate the venue prior to the performance.
Entertainment
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VIP ticket holders at last night’s Tate McRae show at River Stage say the concert descended into chaos after a severe storm forced attendees to evacuate the venue. In a TikTok video, super-fan Courtney said she had waited in line for more than 30 hours to ensure her group of friends were in the front row.
“We just wanted to be there so we were there for ourselves. We go in, get to do our soundcheck … it was delayed at this point,” she said.
“We thought it was going to rain but we didn’t realise it was going to be a thunderstorm. We were standing there for an hour-and-a-half after Tate left the stage, general admission gates open, the crowd is full. Everyone’s there.”
She said fans of the Canadian singer were nervous about songs potentially getting cut from the set list due to the storm.
“Everyone was stressed, then security was told to get in places. It was probably 10 minutes before the opener was due to come on. They get on the microphone and say based on safety concerns, ‘blah blah blah, we have to evacuate the venue’. The whole barricade starts sobbing,” she said.
“It’s a mission to get there. It takes time, you have to be dedicated for it … it was perfect, it was amazing, it was everything we wanted. Then we get told to evacuate and go find shelter.”
Forced to retreat to the nearby car parks, Courtney said her group of friends got split up.
“We’re all freaking the f**k out. We were told by security to go down the front. They didn’t give a flying f**k that we paid $500 or so for these. Completely voided the VIP experience,” she said.
“It was a complete stampede. I know the circumstances changed, I know everyone wants the show to go on. It was the most chaotic experience. We get down to the concrete and we are about eight rows back and off-centre stage. We’re all having panic attacks at this point. What do you mean?”
On return to venue, Courtney said the first two rows were quickly filled by general admission ticket holders.
“We’ve spent hundreds … they weren’t fans. It was so heartbreaking because this is our person. Tate was still interacting with us. She acknowledged that we were there. We were giving her energy when the first two rows were not,” she said.
“It’s a lack of concert etiquette. People being so selfish. It was a really difficult experience to be in.”
In response to the video, commenters agreed that the evacuation orders were confusing.
“First time I got barricade just to get pushed to the back after the evacuation. Was sobbing the whole time,” one VIP ticket holder wrote.
“As VIP we waited from 3am that day and got barricade. Cried,” a second added.
“We saw you in the carpark. It was terribly organised, nothing was stopping them from making it fair. We lined up 14+ hours for general admission, got to about three rows from barricade and ended up on the hill in the end,” a third wrote.
Others said they left the venue after the evacuation order was issued, believing the event was cancelled.
“I can’t get a refund because the staff told me it was cancelled so my friend and I left. Halfway home we got told it was back on and now they’re refusing a refund,” one commenter wrote.
The violent storms forced the Brisbane concert of Canadian pop singer Tate McRae to be evacuated over safety concerns on Sunday night, while Take That didn’t make the stage at all for their A Day on the Green at Sirromet Wines.
Tate McRae’s Riverstage gig had not yet begun when audience members were told to seek shelter at nearby QUT.
The artist posted to Instagram, saying security would advise when it was safe to return.
Audience members were allowed back into the venue around 8.30pm.
At Sirromet, A Day on the Green had support act Rick-Lee’s set but was cancelled towards the end of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s set.
The British singer announced that she’d been advised to pause the show due to lightning but never returned to the stage, and it was soon announced that Take That’s headline show would not go ahead.
The Back for Good hitmakers issued a statement on Instagram explaining that due to “the severe weather events experienced across Brisbane and South East Queensland this evening, the Take That show at Sirromet has been cancelled.”
Ellis-Bextor also shared a message on social media, writing that she was “so sorry the rain stopped play tonight in Brisbane! Hope to be back again soon and thanks to Take That for having us with them for these show. Xxx hope everyone got home OK.”
A Day on the Green concertgoers will receive a refund following the cancellation.
One fan shared a breakdown of how the emergency unfolded across several Instagram stories.
“So, they’ve paused the show for Take That, because the heavens have opened and it’s lightning, big bolts of lightning,” she said.
“We’re sat in a field with a few thousand people and nowhere to go. We’re two rows from the stage – see that big metal structure in front of me? Not a fan.”
She and others soon retreated to their vehicles as the conditions worsened, with fork lightning lighting up the sky as the concert was called off and all concertgoers asked to evacuate the site.
- additional reporting by Nick Bond
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