A free concert by Australian punk rock band Amyl and the Sniffers at Federation Square in Melbourne was abruptly cancelled on Friday night after hundreds of people forced their way through security fences once entry gates had closed.
Organisers said the breach created a serious risk of a crowd crush, prompting the decision to call off the event. The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation chief executive Katrina Sedgwick stressed that the move was made purely on safety grounds. “I’m really relieved we’re here today talking about the cancellation of a concert and not about people being hurt,” she said.
Sedgwick explained that once organisers saw people breaking through smashed fences and entering through gaps, the risk became too great to ignore. “The important thing to do when you’re making a decision like this is not to wait until people are getting crushed. As soon as you understand there are people coming through gaps in the fence that’s the time to act,” she added.
The operators of Federation Square have promised an urgent review into the security breaches, but emphasised that the incident was not the fault of the band’s fan base. The cancellation has sparked wider discussion about crowd management and safety protocols at large-scale public events in Melbourne.
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