Sentosa sky lantern festival: Police investigating event amid complaints, calls for refunds
A refund request form by the event organiser allows ticketholders to ask for a partial refund or the opportunity to attend an upcoming event.
Participants were disappointed and angry after the Singapore Sky Lantern Festival failed to live up to expectations. (Images: TikTok/sheryllim80, Eventbrite website)
SINGAPORE: Police investigations into the Singapore Sky Lantern Festival are ongoing amid complaints made against the event organiser and calls for refunds from attendees who were left disappointed and angry.
The police confirmed on Thursday (Mar 7) that a report has been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.
Participants had been sold on the promise of a photogenic lantern light-up with burning candles at Sentosa's Palawan Green on Feb 21. The lanterns were meant to float in the sky while being tethered to the ground.
However, scores of attendees were let down when they arrived only to be told that "unforeseen circumstances" had changed these plans, with LED candles offered instead and the light-up scrapped.
Tickets cost S$50 each excluding booking fees. One of the event organisers, Ms Shiermie Bautista, said in a since-deleted Facebook post that about 2,500 people attended the festival and collected their lanterns.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said in an update on Friday that it has received 32 consumer complaints against the organiser.
"In general, consumers complained that the segment involving the release of sky lanterns, which was marketed as the highlight of the event, was cancelled without prior notice," said CASE president Melvin Yong.
"Given that Asian Couture and Boutique did not obtain the necessary licences and permit approvals to carry out the release of sky lanterns, it was not right for the company to proceed with the event without giving consumers prior notice that the sky lantern release segment was cancelled. There is also no clarity on the replacement event suggested by the company."
Mr Yong added that under these circumstances, consumers should be entitled to a full refund. Those affected can contact CASE for assistance via its website or hotline at 6277 5100.
RESCHEDULED EVENT
In the immediate aftermath of the event, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) directed ticketholders to contact the event organiser for refunds.
SDC also provided the contact details for Ms Bautista and fellow event organiser Mr Steven Lau.
However, the event organiser subsequently announced that ticket sales were final and non-refundable. Ms Bautista also said that those tickets would be valid for a rescheduled event around the first week of April.
"For those who can’t attend the next event, you can re-sell your tickets at TicketSwap. Thank you for your kind understanding."
ONLINE FORM
In response to queries from CNA on Friday, Mr Lau drew attention to an online form that participants could fill in, with details such as their ticket order number, fees paid per ticket as well as mobile and PayNow number.
One section required ticketholders to declare if they collected a lantern, pen and LED candle during the event.
When indicating their refund request, participants were also asked if they were unable to attend the festival or were present on that day.
The form required individuals to acknowledge the "possibility of a partial refund ranging up to 25 per cent of the ticket price minus the fees charged by Eventbrite".
It also offered ticketholders the opportunity to attend the upcoming event "at a price that will be offset 100 per cent by the amount spent on the event on Feb 21", valid for one year.
Subsequent options on the form included:
- "I am happy on the Feb 21 event and would like to request two more sky lanterns with candle for free of charge."
- "If I could join a private sky lantern group on an island and receive three free sky lanterns each and (realise) my wishes with my partner, I would be extremely happy."
- "In addition, I'd like to find out if I can become a Stateholder in the near future."
In response to CNA request for clarification, Mr Lau said all attendees are required to fill in the form but stopped short of confirming if refund requests would indeed be fulfilled.
CNA has contacted both Mr Lau and Ms Bautista for more information.
Additional reporting by Lee Chong Ming.
Timeline
Oct 31, 2023: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) informs the event organiser of the fire safety guidelines, subsequently reiterating these requirements on multiple occasions leading up to the event.
Dec 14: One of the event organisers, Ms Shiermie Bautista, posts about the event on Facebook. A promotional poster states that the event is approved by SCDF, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).
Feb 19, 2024: In a trial by the event organiser, a lantern causes a small fire on the artificial turf at Palawan Green on Sentosa.
Feb 21: SCDF conducts a site inspection after the event is fully set up and finds that the organiser did not adhere to the guidelines by providing proper tethers, sufficient fire extinguishers and safety marshals. The organiser is informed to not use sky lanterns for the event in the interest of public safety.
Attendees are then offered LED candles, pens to write down their wishes and the option to tie the lantern on barricades. Many ticketholders take to social media to air their disappointment, sharing videos of long queues in their posts.
Some are informed by personnel at the location that they can request for a refund via the website of ticketing platform Eventbrite.
Feb 22: SDC says the event was organised by a third party, Asian Couture and Boutique, which rented the venue. It adds that the event could only continue with music entertainment as the organiser was unable to obtain the required licences and clearance to meet safety requirements.
Ticketholders are directed to contact Mr Steven Lau and Ms Shiermie Bautista for refunds. Ms Bautista tells CNA that existing tickets are valid for a planned rescheduled event.
Feb 27: The event organiser announces that ticket sales are final and non-refundable. Ms Bautista says in a now-deleted Facebook post that they were “advised last minute” to not proceed with the tethered lantern release due to an inadequate supply of fire extinguishers.
Feb 28: The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) says it has received 11 consumer complaints about the event organiser.
SDC says it is “disappointed” to hear that Asian Couture and Boutique has decided against providing refunds and that the final decision to issue refunds or to reschedule lies with the event organiser.
Feb 29: SCDF says it has yet to give clearance for the planned rescheduled lantern event. No further information on the date or venue is available.
Mar 7: The police confirm that they are looking into the Singapore Sky Lantern Festival and that a report has been lodged.
Mar 8: Mr Lau directs CNA to an online request form and says all attendees are required to fill it in.
CASE says in an update that it has received a total of 32 consumer complaints. CASE president Melvin Yong says consumers should be entitled to a full refund given the circumstances surrounding the event.
