It’s the week of Ultra Singapore’s fourth edition, but the music festival has had one hiccup after another — compounded by the fact that ticket buyers are taking to social media to express their frustrations over what they perceive as a lack of coordination on the part of event organizers.
First, there were concerns over a possible cancellation — as tickets weren’t sent out until this past Monday — then, news of a last-minute venue change surfaced, and now, it seems headliner Martin Garrix is pulling out of the event.
The Dutch DJ released a press statement last night revealing that he has been “forced to cancel all his shows [in] the coming weeks due to a serious ankle injury suffered during his show in Las Vegas on May 25.”
Further examinations confirmed that all his ankle ligaments were torn, and surgery was required to “prevent permanent damage to his ankle.” The specialist’s advice was for the performer to cancel all his gigs for at least the next four weeks.
Garrix said that he was “devastated” about the cancellations, as he did not want to disappoint fans.
“I feel most alive when I’m on stage, seeing you guys smile,” he said. “Unfortunately this is out of my control and I will need a surgery and enough rest to fully recover.”
“I want to thank everyone for their continuous support,” he added. “I hope to be able to get back on stage to perform for you guys again really soon.”
Fans graciously wished Garrix a speedy recovery, though some noticed that his name still appears on the Ultra Singapore line-up. There hasn’t been a peep from the organizers about any major set changes yet — although they did release a social media statement yesterday morning confirming that the music festival would be relocated to the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
The excuse explanation given for the change, they said, was due to “expected severe weather this weekend.” For those of you who remember the epic mud fest that was the brand’s debut here in 2016, you’ll likely be as skeptical as we are about that “official” reason.
A media announcement was also sent out on Tuesday evening stating that the organizers were “pleased to announce” the relocation “after many days of working together with different stakeholders.” However, that same statement had included Garrix’s name in the line-up, so it remains to be seen what happens now.
“The logistics of moving venue at such a late stage takes time and therefore we regret not having addressed our fans sooner,” they added. “Rest assured the show goes on and event organisers are working tirelessly to deliver the Ultra experience we are renowned for.”
A good number of netizens online were as dubious about the rationale behind the venue swap, claiming they didn’t care for the rain explanation. Some even pointed the music festival back to its own website, which said it was a “rain or shine” event.
Unless, perhaps, we’re expecting some sort of typhoon to hit our shores?
One even pointed out the team running the brand’s social media channels reportedly couldn’t make up their mind on the supposed reasoning, alleging that the caption had apparently been edited a couple times.
Other eagle-eyed commenters directed Ultra Singapore to Garrix’s social media pages and asked for clarifications on the matter.
Weather forecast? It appears a (shit)storm could be brewing this weekend.
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