'Absolute pandemonium' at VivoCity lion dance event, shouting match between two men caught on video
A lion dance performance at VivoCity drew massive crowds on Feb 28, with one attendee describing the scene as "absolute pandemonium" and videos showing an altercation between two men.
The mall had hosted a large-scale performance featuring 20 lions to mark its 20th anniversary. However, clips circulating online showed the first and second levels packed with spectators, prompting complaints about crowd control.
'Absolute pandemonium'
TikTok user @bellaella7777 took to the platform on Feb 28 to criticise the crowd situation and event management.
"Absolute pandemonium at VivoCity. Really something that could have been easily anticipated but wasn't," she wrote in her caption.
She claimed the chaos stemmed from the performance being moved from outdoors to an indoor location within the mall.
Calling it "an accident waiting to happen", the TikToker pointed to rows of prams lined up amid the tightly packed crowd.
"It was so crazy crowded and the poor security were valiantly trying to control the crowd to no avail," said bellaella7777, adding that the crowd had blocked the main entrance and escalators. Parents were seen lifting their children onto their shoulders to look through the mall's glass panels.
According to screenshots shared in the video, the performance had initially been scheduled to take place at the Outdoor Plaza of the mall.
However, an Instagram post by VivoCity on Feb 27 indicated it was shifted indoors.
Bellaella7777 said a security officer told them the change was due to management's concerns about rain.
"They should have anticipate [sic] the huge crowd considering that just a normal lion dance appearance already attract a large crowd. 20 lions mean half of Singapore turned up," she wrote.
A netizen echoed her views. "I agree. Management was so unprepared and lack of manpower. No barriers and no crowd control."
Event sparked altercation between two men
In a separate TikTok posted by @triston9795, two men were seen arguing during the event.
The video, uploaded on March 1, has garnered more than 286,000 views and 250 comments.
The clip showed one man standing within the crowd and another positioned behind a barricade. The two were seen shouting at each other, with one man — who was carrying a child — repeatedly saying, "Don't push me," while pointing a finger at the other. "You push me ah," he said.
The second man replied: "I where got push you?" He then appeared to shake the barricade and shouted in response: "I pushing this one." Another individual was seen stepping in to try to defuse the situation.
The exact cause of the altercation remains unclear.
Stomp has reached out to @triston9795 and VivoCity for comment.
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