Yuewen Music Festival blasted for mismanagement

Yuewen Music Festival received scathing reviews from attendees after the first of its three-day event at Siloso Beach, Sentosa, on Dec 28.

- Jan Lee

The festival, organised by Chinese entertainment company Yuewen Group, also ran on Dec 29 and has one more day to go on Dec 31, but attendees on the first day have called it a disaster on social media platforms including Reddit, Xiaohongshu, Instagram and TikTok.

The festival features a slate of Asian acts.

On Dec 28, the line-up included Taiwanese Mandopop singers Maggie Chiang and Lala Hsu, K-pop girl groups Kiss Of Life, Itzy and Red Velvet's sub-unit Irene & Seulgi, and Thai singer-actor idols Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn.

Trouble reportedly started midway through Chiang's set, when a lightning warning was issued.

Attendees were evacuated from the event area, and Chiang's set was cut short. Netizens said they understood safety concerns regarding the weather, but one TikTok user claimed that Yuewen had "no wet weather plan".

While Yuewen's official Instagram account stated that holders of standard passes to the event were supposed to be able to take shelter at the Sapphire Pavilion at Siloso Beach, several attendees reported that they were ushered out onto the road, where there was no shelter available.