IC reviews Waterbomb concert issues, says venue use unaffected

The South Korean “Waterbomb Music Festival,” held last weekend at the large-scale outdoor performance venue in Cotai, faced significant challenges, including an invited performance group canceling their show due to dissatisfaction with the organizer’s arrangements.

In response, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) stated that while they will continue to review each event, there has been no observed impact on venue rentals.

In the wake of a last-minute cancellation of a large-scale performance originally slated for early September by the entertainment industry, Macau’s outdoor performance venue hosted U.S. rapper Travis Scott’s global “Circus Maximus World Tour” in late October, alongside the Korean-origin water music festival early this month.

Hong Kong singer Tyson Yoshi, scheduled to perform at the water music festival on Sunday, abruptly canceled his show, citing concerns over the organizers’ last-minute changes.

In a statement, his agency accused the organizers of adding a “rehearsal session” at the last minute and demanding that the artist take the stage without adequately testing the equipment. The statement read: “During rehearsals, the organizers abruptly admitted audience members without notifying any of our staff or consulting us. They demanded we continue rehearsing on stage without testing other stage mechanisms. This situation forced us to suspend rehearsals, preventing us from completing song rehearsals and equipment tests under the intended conditions.”

In response, the organizer claimed that the artist’s team unilaterally decided not to take the stage. “We made every effort on-site to coordinate and provide support,” they stated, “but the artist unilaterally refused to rehearse, citing audience entry as the reason, ultimately deciding not to proceed with the performance.”

The IC, serving as the venue manager and coordinator for the performance area, attributed the incident to communication gaps between the performing units and the organizer.

It is believed that the extended duration of the performances, along with a larger number of audience members arriving early to queue, may have required the organizer to coordinate multiple performance units, potentially leading to various unforeseen circumstances.

IC president Deland Leong told the press yesterday that the bureau conducts a thorough review after each event held at the venue to identify areas for improvement.

She stated, “Each event hosted in the venue has its own distinct style, and every situation presents an opportunity for review and improvement […] We hope these experiences will help refine future events, enhancing their overall effectiveness.”

“The performance area is a new initiative,” she added.

In light of the incident, Leong said organizers will be reminded to consider the needs of all stakeholders, including event formats, performer arrangements, and audience requirements. She emphasized that “there is currently no indication” that the incident will affect rental arrangements for the performance venue.