Last week, we heard on the notoriously salacious web-vine that esteemed promoters Emma were once again in trouble with the powers that be. They had arranged to use the recently vacated Wukesong Arena in Beijing for the last of 6 Avril Lavigne shows in Greater China. This is the first time that the Olympic basketball arena has been used for a music show – AEG are converting Wukesong into a multipurpose venue that should be finished and fit for purpose by May next year.
Rumour held that bad seating design and a lack of qualified security led to a rush of people from the cheap seats onto the floor, where there were huge spaces due to licensing restrictions by local police. The PSB approved a floor capacity of only a few hundred – on a basketball court that could hold a few thousand!
Our friends at the Beijinger have backed this up with an article from last week that you can find here and you can see the hilarious chaos that ensued on video below. Emma have had some bad luck, it has to be said, and they are pushing the envelope in terms of big ticket music here in China, but are they pushing too hard and too fast?