Sentosa festival organisers abruptly cancel sky lantern segment over safety concerns, attendees slam 'very bad planning'
Images of people seen attending an event on Sentosa Island where there was to be a release of lighted lanterns into the air, which did not happen in the end.
SINGAPORE — Despite being touted as an event where people could light up their sky lanterns with burning candles and release them into the night sky, attendees at a Sentosa festival had to contend with light-emitting diode (LED) candles and tying them to barricades instead.
This was because the organiser had failed to adhere to fire safety guidelines, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.
The event, scheduled to run from 3pm to midnight on Wednesday (Feb 21), was held at Sentosa Island's Palawan Green, a green turf along the beach located next to Beach Station.
The lantern release segment was slated to take place at 7.30pm.
However, organisers suddenly cancelled the segment, telling attendees it was due to "unforeseen circumstances".
In response to TODAY's queries, SCDF said the event organiser had not adhered to fire safety guidelines despite multiple reminders.
SCDF said that it first informed the organiser on Oct 31 last year of the guidelines.
Among others, the guidelines state that lighted sky lanterns must be tethered at all times and safety marshals must be on site to supervise the event and in particular, prevent lighted lanterns from being released if they are not tethered. The safety marshals must also be equipped with fire extinguishers.
SCDF said it then "reiterated the need to adhere to the above-mentioned guidelines on multiple occasions leading up to the event".
On Feb 19, SCDF said the organiser conducted a trial that was "unsatisfactory" as one of the lighted lanterns caused a small fire on the artificial turf.
After the event venue was fully set up at Sentosa’s Palawan Green on Feb 21, SCDF conducted a site inspection and found that the organiser had still not adhered to the fire safety guidelines, SCDF added.
"They did not provide proper tethers for the sky lanterns, nor fire extinguishers, or safety marshals," it said. "Therefore, in the interest of public and aviation safety, SCDF informed the event organiser that they should not use the sky lanterns for the event."
Attendees took to social media to express their frustration and call for explanations from the organiser, as well as for refunds. Tickets to the event cost S$53.47 a person, as shown on the event page advertised on Sentosa's website.
The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said in response to TODAY's queries that it took "immediate action to ensure that guests were informed of the situation through signages at key locations from Sentosa Express Beach Station to the site at Palawan Green" upon being notified of the delay, and that live updates were also provided by the organiser at the event's ground.
Responding to TODAY's queries, event organiser Asian Couture and Boutique on Thursday apologised for the cancellation of the lantern release segment, adding that it was for safety reasons.
"We apologise for any disappointment this may cause for those who were looking forward to the sky lantern release. However, we want to prioritise the safety of our attendees and we are unable to release the sky lanterns with (fire at) the event."
It also said that people there were provided with lanterns, pens and LED candles so that they could "still participate in the tradition of writing... their wishes and (tying) their lanterns around the barricade to release their wishes".
As for those seeking a refund, discussions are still underway and the company will give more information within the next two weeks.
TODAY understands that the organiser is still planning to reschedule the event, but it did not give more details.
DISAPPOINTMENT OVER LACK OF MUSIC, FOOD
Disappointed attendees took to social media to post clips of their experiences, with some claiming that they were informed by the event organiser that it had not obtained permit approvals from the SCDF.
Several also called the event a farce and likened it to the Singapore version of the Fyre Festival.
The Fyre Festival was a 2017 luxury music festival that was supposed to be held on a private island in the Bahamas that failed to deliver as advertised. Revellers had turned up at the event only to find problems related to food, accommodation and a lack of musical acts, among other things.
In a video posted by user "sheryllim80" on TikTok for the Sentosa event, throngs of people could be seen at the event venue next to a small placard placed on the grass lawn to notify attendees of the lantern release segment.
The notice read: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, please note that the Singapore Sky Lantern Festival has been delayed."
Attendees also claimed that the organiser informed them that those who chose to go ahead with using LED candles to light up the lanterns would not be offered refunds.
In another TikTok video, a man who appeared to be a staff member could be seen making an announcement saying that "due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to release the sky lanterns with fire".
"Nevertheless, we are giving away a lantern, a bag and an LED light for you to pen your wishes," the staff member said, adding that attendees could choose to tie their lanterns around the barricade or take them home.
Some people there said they were told that they could ask for a refund via third-party ticketing website Eventbrite.
The event was promoted to have "good food and music", but several attendees told TODAY that this was not the case and "barely" any food stalls were seen at the venue.
Eventgoer Sheryl Lim, 25, told TODAY that instead of food stalls, fortune-telling services were set up at the venue, with the whole place "looking very dead and messy".
"It was very chaotic. We thought many media (outlets) were promoting the event, which was why I signed up for it. But it was very bad planning and announcements were only made by word-of-mouth," she said.
Another attendee Janine Tan, 25, said that there was no crowd control at the venue even though there were many people including tourists present.
"There was not a lot of follow-up after we bought our tickets. Even at the venue, there were no consistent announcements about the event," she said, adding that staff members only made an official announcement about the cancellation of the lantern release at about 7.30pm.
Both attendees also said that few people chose to light up their lanterns or tie their lanterns around the barricades.
Mr Melvin Yong, president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said in response to TODAY's queries that it has received one complaint against the event organiser.
As for whether people will be entitled to a refund in such an incident, Mr Yong said that Case is unable to comment since the complaint is pending resolution, but added that those affected may contact the association for assistance.
